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The Apparition of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.
LIFE OF
SAINT MARGARET
MARY ALACOQUE
BY
RT. REV. E. BOUGAUD, D.D.
Bishop of Laval
Niw York, Cincinnati, Chicago
BENZIGER BROTHERS
PRINTERS TO THE I PUBLISHERS Or
HOLY APOSTOLIC SEE I BENZIGER'S MAGAZINE
X ^
BCANLON, S.T.D.,
mfNem
•
Co tbe ftcmovQ
m
My Mother.
TO HER UPON WHOSE KNEE, AS A LITTLE CHILD, I LEARNED
TO KNOW, TO LOVE, TO ADORE
THE
SflCRED HEART.
THREE MONTHS BEFORE HER DEATH, JUNE 23, 1373, ON MY RETURN
FROM PARAY, MY MOTHER BESOUGHT ME TO RE3UME THIS IWflMTll
PREVIOUSLY UNDERTAKEN AT HER REQUEST, THEN INTERRUPTED
AGAIN TAKEN UP, AND ALMOST FINISHED IN THE MIDST OF
THE FIRST ANXIETY CONSEC - I I . • HER ILLNESS,
AND THE INCONSOLABLE SORROW OF
HER DEATH.
TO-DAY
X LAY IT ON HER TOMB AS A LAST TRIBUTE OF HOMAGE
TO THE HEART OF THAT INCOMPARABLE
TO WHOM I OWE ALL.
CONTENTS.
PAGB
Dedication 5
Introduction 9
CHAPTER
I. State of the Church in France at the Birth of
Saint Margaret Mary. 1647 17
II. Birth of Saint Margaret Mary — First Years —
Childhood and Youth. 1647-1662 34
III. Margaret's Vocation — She Enters the Visitation
of Paray. 1662-1671 54
IV. The Convent of Paray. 1671 71
V. Margaret Mary's Novitiate — God Prepares her for
the Great Mission about to be intrusted to her
— Her Profession. May 26, 1671-November 6,
1672 92
VI. Final Exterior Preparations — Last Finishing
Stroke within. November 6, 1672-December
27, 1673 no
VII. The Aurora of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart 126
VIII. The Visitation Established to be the Sanctuary of
the Sacred Heart 142
IX. The Revelations of the Sacred Heart. 1673-1675 16c
X. Almighty God Prepares the Convent of Paray to
become the Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart.
1675-1678 180
XI. Mother Greyfie submits Margaret's Extraordinary
Ways to a New Examination — Her Severity and
her Fearlessness — Father de la Colombiere
Returns to Paray — His Death. 1678-1684 . . 194
XII. The Saintly Sister among her Novices — The
Secret of the Sublime Revelations Escapes her
in Spite of herself — First Public Adoration of
the Sacred Heart. 1684-1685 220
7
8 Contents,
CHAPTER PAGE
XIII. The Apostolate of the Sacred Heart Begun — With
what Modesty and Zeal Margaret Mary begins
to Spread Devotion to the Sacred Heart. 1686-
1689 244
XIV. The Last Grand Revelation — The King and
France. 1689 263
XV. Margaret Mary's Mission Ended — She is Con-
sumed in the Flames of Divine Love — Her
Holy Death. 1690 274
XVI. Devotion to the Heart of Jesus Begins in the
World — Anger of Some, Enthusiasm of Others 290
.KVII. The First-fruits of Devotion to the Sacred Heart
— The Church of France Vivified in the Rays of
the Sacred Heart — Beatification of Saint
Margaret Mary 315
XVIII. Unexpected and Marvellous Spread of Devotion
to the Heart of Jesus amid the Misfortunes of
France — The Second Part of the Mission con-
fided to Saint Margaret Mary Approaches its
Accomplishment. 1870-1874 334
XIX. Montmartre — The Wish of St. Francis de Sales
— The Visitation Order and Jansenism — The
Visitandines as Reformers and Founders —
The Visitandines in the Revolution — the Scapu-
lar of the Sacred Heart in the Reign of Terror
— The Guard of Honor of the Sacred Heart —
The Consecration of the World to the Sacred
Heart 356
XX. Enthronement of the Sacred Heart — Some
American Associations — The Words of Pope
Benedict XV., and the Decree of Canonization
of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Professed
Religious of the Order of the Visitation of the
Blessed Virgin Mary of the diocese of Autun 378
INTRODUCTION.
In the two volumes devoted to the telling of St. de
Chantal's story and the origin of the Visitation, I
thought I had finished my task. But a pure, sweet
voice called me, that of the first of St. Chantal's daugh-
ters raised to the altar, Saint Margaret Mary. She it
was who was chosen by God to finish the work of St.
Francis de Sales and his great co-operatrix. Both had
labored together in the construction of the edifice.
They dug the foundations, drew the grand plans. But
the crown was wanting. It was Margaret Mary, that
saintly and humble virgin, who was deputed to place it
on its brow. In some way, then, the Life of our saintly
Sister is a necessary sequel to the history of St. Chantal.
The biography of the one illumines and perfects that of
the other.
But if Saint Margaret Mary interests us as the first
beatified daughter of the holy founders of the Visita-
tion, we hesitate not to say that she awakens our sym-
pathy from still another point of view. Hidden in the
depths of her cloister, in the seclusion of a little town
far from Paris, she received a first-class mission. She
was deputed by Almighty God to come to the assistance
of the Church in the fulfilment of a work the greatest
and, at the same time, the most formidable ever accom-
plished in this world.
This work, we well know, is not to remain inactive in
the midst of the instability of human things, of dynasties,
empires, and even whole nations, which shall sooner or
later crumble into dust. Nor is it to impose on man's
proud reason a collection of dogmas whose titles he has,
9
io Introduction.
indeed, the right to study, but which can regenerate him
only by humbling him. This work, still more elevated,
so luminous and yet so obscure, is to persuade man tha"
God loves him.
Yes, one day, from the depths of His eternity, God
looked upon man ; and like some great king, some
powerful genius, who falls a victim to the charms of a
little lisping child, that child his own, God was capti-
vated. He loved man. He loved him even to passion,
even to folly. He loved him so far as to make Himself
man, in order to bridge those distances which, of what-
ever nature they may be, are insupportable to love.
God loved man even to suffer and to die for him.
Yes, He who hangs there on that gibbet, His hands
and feet pierced, His Heart opened, is God ! And what
is He doing there ? He is suffering, He is dying, through
love ; yea, He is dying of love !
This is what the Church is commissioned to teach to
man. This is the price of his regeneration. Outside
this we find only feebleness of heart, shipwreck of morals.
A man may indeed be an honest man ; but the folly of
sacrifice, of virginity, of devotedness, of martyrdom,
arises only from faith in the folly of the Cross.
This love of God for man is so great, so prodigious,
that it has become a scandal to the world. It is the old
and universal stumbling-block, the final reason of all
schisms and all unbelief. If Arius, for example, sepa-
rated from the Church, it was because he could not be-
lieve that that Man who had one day appeared in Judea
could, without certain equivocal expressions, without
(exaggeration, be truly st3'led the Only Son of God.
There was in such abasement a grandeur of love revolt-
ing to the heresiarch. Nor could Nestorius admit that
the Eternal Son of God had reposed in the womb of an
humble virgin, that he had been nourished with her
milk, and that He had called her mother ! Luther and
Calvin, — why did they break anew the unity of the
Introduction. 1 1
Church ? Because they could not believe either in the
tribunal of reconciliation, that is, in mercy that makes
no account of ingratitude; or in indulgences, that is,
in one of the most tender industries of the Saviour to
supply for our ever-recurring insufficiencies ; or in the
Holy Eucharist, that is, in His constant abiding with
those whom He loves. Narrow hearts, which know not
what it is to love ! And if in our day there are so many
men that pass before the Cross wagging their head, who
gaze at our altars with a smile of contempt, it is because
the folly of the Cross disgusts them. Man's egotism,
incapable of loving, sinks under the weight of such
mysteries ; and the Church cannot draw from him this
cry that would transfigure him : Et nos credidimus cha-
ritati quam habet Deus in nobis: " Yes, we believe that God
has love for us." '
But precisely because the work is formidable, because
the Church seems at some moments to bend under the
weight, God comes to her aid by some master-strokes.
As, when sophists multiplied, He made a sign, and we
saw appear those whom we shall call volunteers, extra-
ordinary agents of the truth, a St. Augustine, a St.
Thomas, a Bossuet : in like manner, when the world
grew cold, and God's love was no longer credited ;
when we saw degenerate purity, sacrifice, apostleship,
devotedness, and martyrdom, — all those qualities that
derive their origin from the heart, but from the heart
transfigured by divine love, — God made a sign, and we
saw arise those whom we shall call volunteers, the
extraordinary agents of love. Thus, for example, when
Constantine ascended the imperial throne, the early
persecutions passed ; when he extended over the Church
his imperial purple, he introduced with those honors,
though unknown to himself and without willing it, the
seeds of lukewarmness. When arise those cold-hearted
doctors whom we have already cited, Arius, Nestorius,
1 I. John iv. 16.
i •* Introduction.
Eutyches, whose doctrine was at best only the denial of
infinite love ; when old pagan sensualism was slowly
penetrating into the Church, — at that moment the earth
opened, and from her bosom came forth the instruments
of the Passion of Jesus Christ : the cross on which He
died, the nails that pierced His feet and hands, the
crown that wounded His brow, the lance that opened
His Heart. The world was providentially roused to new
life by contact with those sacred trophies of the Passion.
And who was the privileged creature to whom God
gave this great mission of reviving the world in the
fourth century ? A woman — the pious Helena, the
mother of Constantine, the imperial Liberator of the
Church. It was a woman, and we can divine the cause.
Ordinarily inferior to man in gifts of intellect, woman is
his superior in those of the heart. She loves more, she
loves better. Even in thought she never separates love
from sacrifice. To love is for her self-immolation. It
was, then, a woman ; and, moreover, it was a mother.
That, too, we can understand.
Before the Cross, before the folly of love, man may
sometimes pass wagging his head ; but the mother,
never ! She takes her child in her arms, she raises her
eyes to the Cross, and she says to herself : " What is
there so astonishing in Jesus Christ's dying for His
children ? Would / not do the same for mine ?"
It was, then, a woman, a wife, a mother, who, in the
fourth century, received the mission to revivify the
world by holding up to it the Cross of Jesus Christ ;
and, in fact, she succeeded. The great devotion of those
barbarous nations of the Middle Ages was devotion to
the Cross. They even fought battles for its restitution
when it had passed out of their hands. The West rose
to a man to get possession of the Saviour's empty tomb.
When arrived in Jerusalem, those hardy warriors, a God-
frey de Bouillon, a Tancred, a Baldwin, were seen mak-
ing the circuit of the. Holy City, barefoot and shedding
Introduction. 1 3
abundant tears. Some of them even expired of lo^e
and sorrow when kissing the rocks of Calvary. France
trembled one day with the purest emotion that had
ever thrilled her soul, when St. Louis re-entered his cap-
ital, bearing in his royal hands the crown of thorns that
had steeped in blood the brow of Jesus Christ. During
five centuries, from St. Helena to St. Louis, the world,
rewarmed by contact with the holy cross on which
Jesus Christ had died, could utter the conquering cry :
Yes, we believe in God's infinite love for man I
But it was not difficult for an observer to see that this
devotion, owing to human infirmity, would soon be in-
sufficient to support a flame that had evidently begun
to flicker. The Crusades became more and more an im-
possibility ; in vain did the Sovereign Pontiffs urge the
Faithful to rescue the profaned tomb of Jesus Christ.
A symbol more touching than even the Cross had become
a necessity, something that would sink more deeply into
hearts. Then, in the solitude of a Belgian convent, God
appeared to a privileged soul, and gave her the mission
to turn all eyes and hearts to the Holy Eucharist, and to
ask from the Church some new manifestations of homage
for this august mystery.
And who was the favored creature predestined to
revive the world in the thirteenth century, and to be
what we shall call an extraordinary agent of love ?
Again a woman, and this time a virgin ! However
pure, however clear-sighted the heart of the mother,
there is something more beautiful, more crystalline still,
and that is the heart of a virgin ! And besides, the
mystery of the Eucharist being the mystery of the
angels, it was fitting to reserve to virginity the honors
of that revelation and of that apostolate.
As nothing happens in the Church but by the breath-
ings of God's Spirit, whilst the new pomps of Corpus
Christi were being displayed, an unknown monk sent
forth the Book of the " Imitation" the most beautiful
14 Introduction,
pages that have ever fallen from the pen of man, espe-
cially Book IV., so calculated to inflame hearts with love
for the Holy Eucharist. At the same time St. Thomas
composed his incomparable hymns, " Lauda Sio?i% and
" Adoro Te Supplex." Then Gothic cathedrals rose as if
to be triumphal arches in honor of the Holy Eucharist.
From their hallowed precincts came solemnly forth
those beautiful processions of the Blessed Sacrament of
which we know ; and the world, reanimated and trans-
formed by the warmth of the devotion, began its march
anew, the cry of victory upon its lips : We believe in
God's infinite love for us.
Three centuries rolled by ! Suddenly there sweeps
over the Church a current icy cold, freezing. Luther
appeared, and denied infinite love in its most tender
manifestations. Calvin followed, and suppressed the
Eucharist. Jansenius arose, and, though not denying
the Holy Eucharist, taught the Faithful to abstain from
it with the most profound respect. Books on, or, as we
should say, against, frequent Communion were written,
and treasures of learning were called into play, in order
to teach the Faithful that Jesus Christ established the
Divine Sacrament that they might receive it as seldom
as possible. Faith in infinite love grew weak through-
out the world ; coldness was everywhere felt.
O my God, my God ! what art Thou now going to
do ? By what ingenious device art Thou going to re-
animate souls ? What secret remedy hast Thou in re-
serve for times so sad ? And to what privileged soul
art Thou now going to confide it?
To reanimate faith and piety, God again chose a
woman, a virgin. Evidently, He wished to make none
other the extraordinary agent of His love !
With divine art He prepared the chosen virgin for
her mission. When her heart had become like that of
an angel ; when one night she was plunged in ecstasy,
immovable, recollected, her arms crossed on her breast,
Introduction. 1 5
her face strangely lighted, all aglow with interior fire,
a celestial radiance, visible to her alone, arose above the
altar. In it she perceived, as she tremblingly glanced
through the grate, the adorable person of our Lord Jesus
Christ ! When, at last, she ventured to fix upon Him
her eyes moist with tears, she saw the Saviour's breast
resplendent, and His Heart sparkling like a sun in the
midst of flames. And hark, a voice addressed her : " Be-
hold the Heart that has so loved men, even to consume itself
for them /" Several times were these visions repeated,
and in them were the adorable designs of God revealed
to her. She saw the wounds of society healed by de-
grees through contact with this Divine Heart ; and the
Church, rewarmed, reanimated by the rays of this fur-
nace of love, resume her triumphant, benevolent march
through the world.
To add one more charm to this devotion, that is for
the French heart, God gave it to His Church by the
hands of France. It was to a French religious, mem-
ber of a French Order, in a town of France, that He
made known what He wished her to promulgate to the
universal Church. And not only is it to France that
the revelation is made, it is made for France. So well
does it correspond on the one hand to her most noble
aspirations, her most elevated sentiments ; so sweetly
and efficaciously does it touch on the other her saddest
wounds, that it is evident God thought of France in
giving to the world the grand revelation of the Sacred
Heart. Yes, He not only thought, He expressed His
thought in words ; He announced it with a precision
truly miraculous. In fact, in proportion as France
plunged into the Sacred Heart, has she been regen-
erated.
Behold of what we shall treat in the following pages,
though for it we should borrow the tongues of angels or
of saints. We shall, however, try what we can do ; for
.not to try would be in us the blackest ingratitude.
1 6 Introduction,
Before beginning, we shall, however, premise one ob-
servation. Just as we might say to a youth about en-
tering upon the study of mathematics, " This book
treats of infinitesimal calculus. Do not open it, for you
will understand nothing in it :" in like manner, if any
one believes not in the infinite love of God for man dis«
played from His crib to His cross, and still shown in
the Holy Eucharist, let him not open this book ! Should
he do so, he will be amazed and scandalized. I am
going to recount the strangest things, facts the most
extraordinary, the most inconceivable, and yet the most
certain, as well as the most touching : a God loving
man to folly, yes, even to passion ! This God, forgot-
ten, despised, betrayed, ignored by man, has not de-
spaired of man. Instead of punishing him, of crushing
him, as He might have done, He resolved to conquer
him by force of love. And this is the story that I am
now going to tell.
O Jesus, from my mother's arms to the 'ardent years
of my youth, I never ceased to believe in that infinite
love which is the sap, the divine sustenance, of Chris-
tianity ; and now, at the age that brings to man experi-
ence of the world, and, if he has been faithful, opens to
him the splendors of heaven, I feel that same infinite
love shining on my head with undimmed brilliancy. It
is true to say, I now scarcely believe in man's love, for
I believe much more in God's love ! Help me, then, O
Christ, O Saviour, O Friend, and may these my last
words, if they are to be my last, bear to the very depths
of souls the knowledge of that love whose charm I
have tasted, but of whose sweetness I shall never be
able to speak !
Orleans, May 24, 1874.
LIFE OF
Saint Margaret Mary alacoque.
CHAPTER I.
STATE OF THE CHURCH IN FRANCE AT THE BIRTH
OF SAINT MARGARET MARY.
1647.
" Mane nobiscum, Doraine, quoniam advesperascit, et inclinata
est jam dies."
" Stay with us, O Lord, because it is towards evening, and the day
is now far spent." — St. Luke xxiv. 29.
JjTLN 1647, the year in which Margaret Mary was born
,31f at Verosvres, a small Burgundian village seven
leagues from Paray, Catholic France had just
achieved a great victory. The latter part of the six-
teenth century had been spent in expelling schism and
heresy from her bosom. Freed from the bad leaven,
she flourished in the seventeenth.
Joy was great in Christian homes; for never, perhaps,
had France known so fearful a danger. With its doc-
trine of reason's absolute independence, its contempt of
authority, and its hatred of ecclesiastical rule, Protes-
tantism was calculated to please a nation in love with
equality, naturally rebellious, and quickly wearied of
that authority of which it had so much need. On the
other hand, enervated and corrupted under the frivolous
reigns of Francis I., Henry II., Charles IX., and Henry
III., she was only too well prepared by her depraved
morality to curtail her ancient doctrines. She hesitaced
a moment; and heresy, which had seduced a part of the
high nobility, mounted the steps of the throne. It was
17
\ 8 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
>ne of those solemn hours that decide the future of a
tvorld. Let us suppose that, after the defection of all
England, of a part of Germany, Prussia, Sweden, Nor-
way, and Switzerland, France, too, had proved recreant:
humanly speaking, the Catholic Church in Europe
would have succumbed.
Happily, if under certain forms Protestantism exer-
cised a charm over France, under others it inspired in.
vincible repugnance. France is a thoroughly religious
nation, though led rather by the heart than the head.
Into religion, as into all things else, she carries her
ardent and lively nature, her love of being led rather than
convinced; and in the love she bestows she conceives no
limit other than that which she exacts. In this respect,
Protestantism was radically incapable of satisfying
France.
Protestantism is not a spontaneous growth. It only
ingrafted itself on the old trunk of the Gospel as a so-
called development and improvement. It established
itself in a manner entirely contradictory; that is, by
lopping off, by retrenching. Now, what it suppressed
was precisely that which had charms for France, that
which had, from the first, so completely, so lastingly,
attached her to the Catholic faith.
The first dogma of Protestantism, or rather its first
curtailment, was that Jesus Christ did not become in-
carnate for all men ; He suffered and died only for
some; His Heart is not large enough to embrace all
humanity.
The second dogma of Protestantism is that, even in
this narrow circle of the predestined, the mercy of Jesus
Christ has limits. It does not pardon sins, it does not
remit debts. One cannot weep at His feet the misfor-
tune of having offended Him, nor rise up, his eyes
glistening with tears, in the assurance that the love of
Jesus has consumed all, purified all, forgotten all.
The third dogma of Protestantism is that the Lord
State of the Church in France at her Birth. 1 9
Joes not remain among us in the Holy Eucharist. Ac-
cording to the Lutheran doctrine, He passes like a flash
of lightning; whilst the Calvinists teach that He is not
present at all. Neither the one nor the other believes
God sufficiently loving " to make it His delight to be
with the children of men." '
Viewed in the light of faith and in relation to God,
Protestantism is only a half-gift, a half-love. Hence,
how could it captivate a nation in which the heart pre-
dominates; a nation moved more by feeling (with which
in vivacity none other can compare) than by principle ?
France, believing or infidel, virtuous or depraved, is
never anything by halves. She is, according to the
love that sways her, always in the extreme of good or
evil.
The consequences of Protestantism are,besides,worthy
of its principles. When Protestants admit in God only
a half-love, how require of man a whole love ? Thus,
scarcely had Luther and Calvin formulated their doc-
trine, than one sees the spirit of heroic self-sacrifice
die out like a wind suddenly lulled. Holy enthusiasm
is extinguished ; no more consecrated vestals and
apostles; souls that despise all for God are no longer
to be found. To the rapture that produced wonders
succeeds the morality that is limited to the avoidance of
faults. Soon it was necessary to mask this sterility.
That to which these innovators could no longer attain
was despised; the religious state was suppressed, pen-
ance abolished. Fearing lest man should surpass God
in proofs of love, those proofs are forbidden him.
This was the finishing stroke of Protestantism in
France. What ! no more religious ? Can we no
longer give apostles to God? We are forbidden volun-
tary sacrifice, the outward expression of love's passion
Ind folly ! What ! shall we have no more tabernacles
ha our churches ? Shall the living Christ go forth ?
1 Prov. viii. 31.
20 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Shall we have of Him but a shadowy remembrance as
of one belonging to far-off ages ? France felt to the
core the stroke aimed at her deepest religious interests,
and she rejected Protestantism as one would a restless,
troubled dream.
Other reasons, political and national, were added to
these. Owing to circumstances in which it is permitted
us to see the hand of God, France was the first-born of
Catholic nations; and in consequence of circumstances
still more marvellous, she found herself from her crib
endowed with a genius so like that of the Church that,
from the very first, their union was perfect. Time,
which destroys all that is artificial, has only developed
and confirmed this harmony. All the grand enterprises
of France have had a religious as well as a national
character. Her greatest men, Clovis, Charlemagne, St.
Louis, have had a double aureola on their brow. They
are as celebrated in the history of the Church as in that
of France. The only hours in which our prosperity
appeared for a moment to decline, were those in which
we seemed desirous of separation from God. Our glori-
ous epochs, on the contrary, are contemporary with our
greatest services rendered the Church. So true is this,
that the idea now possesses all minds that we are a priv-
ileged race, a sort of royal priesthood, charged to pro-
tect and defend truth, justice, and virtue, and gain for
them the world's respect. Protestantism would drag
us down from our unique rank. This mission that we
believe to have received at Tolbiac; this title of Eldest
Sons of the Church, gratefully decreed us by the
Papacy; this distinctive feature of a nation the most
Catholic, the freest, the most devoted, and the most in-
dependent, in which we find soldiers, apostles, Sisters ot
Charity; in fine, the watch we have kept as sentinels for
twelve long centuries at the door of Rome, — must we
renounce? Must we sheathe Charlemagne's trusty
sword? France shuddered at the thought; and, with
State of the Church in France at her Birth. 21
characteristic ardor, turned once more to the old religion
of her fathers !
I do not think history records a more acute, a more
general emotion than that which seized upon France in
1589, at the death of Henry III. He had no children,
and his only heir was a Huguenot. We have had in
our hands a number of manuscripts of the sixteenth
century: deliberations of parliament, municipal acts,
private papers never intended for publicity; and we
should never be able to recount the expressions of con-
sternation therein recorded at the thought of an heret-
ical king. The ardent emotion that then burst forth
was subdued by the cool determination to suffer every-
thing rather than accept him. What happened in Paris
at the announcement of Henry III.'s death was renewed
throughout France. " In place of the acclamations of
1 Vive le rot!' usual on such occasions, hats were slouched
over eyes by some, or thrown to the ground by
others; whilst others again, unwilling to have a Hugue-
not king, clinched their fists, or grasped hands in
pledge of their vow: Rather death a thousand times!" '
Then began those public prayers, those solemn pil-
grimages; those processions, too noisy, if you will, but
so expressive and, on the part of the people, so sincere;
in fine, all those manifestations that, far better than the
League, made Henry IV. understand how true were the
dying words of Henry III.: "Cousin, you will never be
king of France if you do not become a Catholic." The
sincerity of the conversion of Henry IV. has been ques-
tioned. But were it even true, which we do not believe,
that he yielded to human views in the accomplishment
of that great act, what better proof could we wish of
the depth and invincible force of the religious current
that then bore France along ?
Two-and-twenty years of the most reparative of reigns
had passed, when France, after the unlcoked-for good
1 Histoire universelle de d'Aubign6, t. iii. liv \l ch. xxii.
22 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
fortune of finding so great a man in the midst of such
a storm, saw him fall under the implacable dagger of
the malcontents. A new cry of anguish escaped her
lips, and she foifi for the second time that she was about
to be ingulfeJ, that she had no longer any hope but in
God. Men's passions were but lightly slumbering, and
\here were no barriers to restrain them. The hostile
parties were so irreconcilable that the hand of Richelieu
fcould with difficulty subdue them, and so unpatriotic
\hat they were ever ready to call in foreign aid. The
powerful house of Austria surrounded France with a
band of iron, menacing at the time her frontiers; and
when, after a stormy minority, Louis XIII. reached man-
hood, by one of those strokes in which Richelieu's policy
was revealed, he married Anne of Austria. This was a
brilliant but sterile union. No children — hence, no fu-
ture! France, full of alarm, again asked herself, in the
event of the king's death, into whose hands the most
Christian kingdom was to fall. Prayers were offered, pil-
grimages revived. The king and the queen implored the
intercession of the most saintly persons — the venerable
Mother de Chantal, Blessed Mary of the Incarnation,
the humble Sister Margaret of the Blessed Sacrament, M.
Olier, cur6 of St. Sulpice, and a host of others — that God
would be pleased to send an heir to the race of St.
Louis. Finally, as individual prayers did not suffice to
avert perils so great, King Louis XIII. descended from
his throne, went to Notre Dame, and there solemnly
consecrated to the Blessed Virgin his person and his
kingdom. All France ioined enthusiastically in this
consecration.
Contemporaries have left us long and curious details
of that solemn action; painters and engravers have rep-
resented it in a thousand ways. But what is most im-
portant to note is its astonishing result. The self-same
year in which France was consecrated to Mary, 1637,
the child was born who was to be called Louis XIV.,
State of the Church in France at her Birth. 23
and who was to reign for two-and-seventy years of the
most eventful epoch of our history. Six years later, in
1643, a young captain, like Clovis of old, received on
the battle-field one of those sudden lights that change
the face of the world. Rocroy, realizing at last the
dream so patiently pursued by Henry IV., Louis XIII.,
and Richelieu, snatched from Austria the preponder-
ance of European power, and transferred it to France.
At the same time was seen arise a phalanx of geniuses:
statesmen, warriors, orators, poets, and first-class prose
writers, a single one of whom would suffice for the
glory of an age. Their numbers were so great, their
variety so rich, that no nation, not even Greece in her
palmiest days, could offer anything comparable to it.
To this powerful sixteenth century, so agitated, so
troubled, so devoured by detestable passions, in which
grand national unity, as well as national grandeur, was
at every hour jeopardized, succeeded that calm and
magnificent period which saw France become the envy
and admiration of the world; that period in which
Bossuet spoke, Pascal thought, Fenelon wrote, Corneille
and Racine sang, Fontaine smiled. Every year pro-
duced a masterpiece. Enthusiastic France looked on
in rapturous surprise and amazement. She produced
for herself and the world a spectacle of the most mag-
nificent intellectual development, moral and religious,
that the world had yet witnessed. This was the result
of the vow of Louis XIII., the smile of the Mother of
God on the people consecrated to her honor.
But gifts, even the rarest, do not dispense a people
from energetically rejecting the last dregs of poison,
nor from vigilance against relapses into error. Whilst
Europe contemplated with astonishment this nation, at
orfe time fallen so low and agitated by convulsions so
terrible, then raised so suddenly to the pinnacle of
greatness, the year 1675 saw her visibly decline, and suc-
ceeding years beheld her prosperity gradually diminish.
24 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Like the patriarch who, after wrestling all night with
the angel, rose up in the morning victorious though
wounded; so France, from her fearful contest against
Protestantism, rose indeed, but not without marks of
her struggle.
The violent attacks of Protestantism against the Pa-
pacy, its calumnies so manifest, the odious caricatures it
scattered abroad, had undoubtedly inspired France
with horror; nevertheless the sad impression remained.
In such accusations all, perhaps, was not false. Mis-
trust was excited, and, instead of drawing closer to the
insulted and outraged Papacy, France stood on her
guard against it. In vain did Fenelon, who felt the dan-
ger, write his treatise on the " Power of the Pope," and, to
remind France of her sublime mission and true role in
the world, compose his " History of Charlemagne." ' In
vain did Bossuet majestically rise in the midst of that
agitated assembly of 1682, convened to dictate laws to
the Holy See, and there, in most touching accents, give
vent to professions of fidelity and devotedness toward the
Chair of St. Peter. We already notice in his discourse
mention no longer made of the " Sovereign Pontiff."
The " Holy See," the " Chair of St. Peter," the " Roman
Church," were alone alluded to. First and, alas! too
manifest signs of coldness in the eyes of him who knew
the nature and character of France! Others might
obey through duty, might allow themselves to be gov-
erned by principle — France, never! She must be ruled
by an individual, she must love him that governs her,
else she can never obey.
These weaknesses should at least have been hidden
in the shadow of the sanctuary, to await the time in
which some sincere and honest solution of the misun-
derstanding could be given. But no! parliaments took
hold of it, national vanity identified itself with it. A
strange spectacle was now seen. A people the most
1 This history is, unfortunately, lost.
State of the Church in France at her Birth. 25
Catholic in the world; kings who called themselves the
Eldest Sons of the Church and who were really such at
heart; grave and profoundly Christian magistrates,
bishops, and priests, though in the depths of their heart
attached to Catholic unity, — all busied in barricading
themselves against the head of the Church; all dig-
ging trenches and building ramparts, that His words
might not reach the Faithful before being handled and
examined, and the laics convinced that they contained
nothing false, hostile, or dangerous.
God keep me from saying any harm of the old French
Church ! We have not forgotten that, only a century
before, the bishops of England apostatized at the com-
mand of Henry VITI. ; whilst, in 1793, even after the
enervating effects of the eighteenth century, the French
bishops and priests ascended the scaffold, or went into
exile, rather than separate from Catholic unity. It is
not less true that the Church of France at that period
was no longer closely united with the Pope. That
great luminary of the Church, as St. Francis de Sales
calls His Holiness, met in France too much that was
opposed to the benign influence of its rays ; conse-
quently there resulted a diminution of life-giving
warmth, of sap, and of fecundity. This was the first
wound dealt us by Protestantism, and from it the
Church of France bled for two centuries.
There was at the same time a second, perhaps a more
dangerous, wound. The blasphemies uttered by Prot-
estants against the Blessed Sacrament could not be
heard without a thrill of horror. Was there not, how-
ever, some truth in what the reformers said? Was it
not the light and irreverent conduct of Catholics toward
the Holy Eucharist that gave rise to those blasphemies?
Would it not be better to abstain from holy Commun-
ion, or henceforth to make use of it with more reserve ?
Vainly did Fenelon, whose intuitive perception told
him all, write his famous letter on " Frequent Commun-
26 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
ion." Vainly did Bossuet pour out his great soul in hi&
admirable " Meditations on the Discourse after the Last
Supper." Naught availed. Arnauld's book on " Fre-
quent Communion," or rather against it, received uni-
versal approbation, and began to direct the conscience
of many.
Such writers did unquestionably reject with fear th*
blind predestination of Protestantism ; but under the
pretext of a reaction against the softness of Catholic
morals, they led souls to despair. Massillon uncon*
sciously headed the crusade against the mercy of God
by his famous discourse on the small number of the elect ;
and Pascal followed with his biting irony on the Society
of Jesus, guilty only of the crime of maintaining and
defending the goodness, tenderness, and mercy of God
in His relations toward sinners.
All these tendencies were floating, so to say, in the
air, vague and undecided, when Jansenism appeared,
seized upon them, and reduced them to definitive shape.
Jansenism is the most astonishing heresy that has
afflicted the Church. Its doctrine is, after all, only a
shameful form of Protestantism, for their fundamental
principle is the same. It is the doctrine of a God
whose love is half-hearted ; who came upon earth, but
who had not the heart to die for all men ; who dwells,
it is true, in the Holy Eucharist, though one does not
precisely know why, for He wishes that we receive Him
therein as seldom as possible ; who has established the
tribunal of mercy and pardon, but has hedged it round
with such conditions as to render it unapproachable.
In order to get a hold on the mind of the people and
make these ideas familiar to them, Jansenism concealed
che beautiful crucifixes of Christian ages, on which the
Saviour is represented with arms widely extended to
embrace all mankind, and eyes tenderly lowered to the
earth to attract all souls to Himself. They replaced
them by the hideous little images still found in some
State of the Church in France at her Birth. 2 7
houses, poverty-stricken and ugly, the hands of the
Saviour fastened perpendicularly above His head, to en-
close within them as few souls as possible, and His eyes
so raised toward heaven as no longer to behold the earth.
Instead of these words, so sweet to faith, engraven above
tabernacles in which the God of love resides : Qiiait*
dilecta tabernacula tua Do mine • (" How lovely are Thy
tabernacles, O Lord of hosts !" ') they substituted suclf
words as these : " Keep my Sabbaths, and reverence mj
sanctuary. I am the Lord." 2 Jansenius wrote treatises
on frequent Communion, that is to say, against it ; and
he made lavish use of his erudition to teach the Faith-
ful to absent themselves from it as much as possible.
Toward the Sovereign Pontiff this serpent-like heresy
pursued the same policy. It did not deny His power, as
do Protestants, but it worked with incredible skill. It
knew how to do without Him, and even to disobey Hirr.
with profound respect. That is to say, wherever Prot-
estantism denied, Jansenism was hypocritical. Both
aimed, though by different means, at the same result,
namely, the diminution of divine love in souls.
There was no hope of escaping such dangers except
by an energetic reaction of faith and piety. The infinite
?ove of God should have been boldly affirmed ; souls
should have been urged to approach the holy table, to
frequent Communion ; they should have been cast into
the arms of the Sovereign Pontiff, as children more
obedient, more tenderly aevotea, than ever. But this
was not the case. Some allowed themselves to be
Tightened by simulated austerity, and others were
seduced by these grand words : " Return to the disci-
pline of the primitive Church." Sentinels did not per-
oral their duty, some were traitors ; and little by little
Jansenism penetrated everywhere, not as a doctrine in
which souls believed, but as an influence to which they
yielded. The most fervent communities, the most
austere cloisters, were not preserved from it. They
1 Ps. lxxxiii. 1. 8 Lcvit. xxvi. 2.
28 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
inhaled it, almost unsuspectingly, like those subtle poi-
sons floating in the air, which bear with them death
sometimes, disease always.
From these combined influences there resulted in
France, at the end of the seventeenth century and dur-
ing the whole of the eighteenth, a corruption of the true
spirit of the Gospel, a kind of semi-Christianity, com-
monplace and cold, utterly incapable of captivating
souls. The conquering charm of Christianity, the prin-
ciple of its eternal fruitfulness, is the dogma of God's
infinite love for man, that grand doctrine, at once so
full of mystery and yet so luminous, of a God who
loves man unto passion. In the same measure as one
approaches it, whether entirely to deny or merely to
diminish this infinite love, one sees die out or sensibly
decrease that sublime inebriation which makes virgins,
apostles, and martyrs, that folly of man responding to
the folly of God. The world had had a first example in
the absolute sterility of Protestantism ; and France was
about to offer a second, which, though less perfect, was
none the less striking ; since, without absolutely denying
infinite love, it was content with an unintelligible concep-
tion of it.
In proportion as this quasi-Christianity spread over
France, the sublime inspirations of faith and piety
became weaker. During the whole of the eighteenth
century there was but one new institution, that of
de la Salle, a tardy scion of the great tree of which
some years before it was impossible to number the
new shoots. The old institutions languished, and
some literally died out. In France, virgins and apos-
tles, souls consecrated to God, became fewer and fewer.
The old abbeys were too spacious for their inmates
daily diminishing in numbers; and in revenge at not
being able to people them, they pulled them down.
The riches no longer necessary, since the monasteries
were now deserted, were used in demolishing the old
cloisters of the twelfth anri the. thirteenth centuries, so
State of the Church in France at her Birth. 29
interesting in point of art, which had been erected by
saints, and embalmed with the still living traces of their
footsteps. They replaced them by magnificent abbeys
in the style of Versailles, that is to say, as destitute of
style as of reminiscences. The same spectacle was wit-
nessed in the ranks of the clergy, among whom were
found some zealous priests, some men of duty, but no
saints. All was mediocre, no enthusiasm, no fire. Mis-
sions died out, and a sensible diminution of warmth
and life was everywhere felt. As one sometimes sees a
grand old tree no longer shooting its huge branches
toward heaven, no longer clothed in luxuriant foliage,
because of the wound at the root, so the Church of
France gave signs of deep-seated disease.
This was, however, only the beginning of the trouble.
Whilst within the Church pious souls grew cold, the
breath of irreligion was blowing without. This half-
Christianity, which had not sufficient beauty to enrap-
ture souls, was still less capable of opposing the detest-
able effects of Protestantism. They filtered through, if
we may dare so to speak, the swaying and disjointed
dikes. In the same way as Luther and Calvin tore the
Creed to pieces and scoffed at the Church, Voltaire and
Rousseau cut up the Gospel and mocked at Jesus Christ.
By virtue of the same right, also, and supported on the
same principles, Diderot, d'Holbach, Helvetius, Lamet-
trie, denied the immortality of the soul, and jeered at a
future life. Nothing in the intellectual, moral, or relig-
ious order was respected. A spirit of universal revolt
agitated France, till then so devoted to her kings. Never
had there been so much said of tenderness, benevolence,
philanthropy; yet never had hearts been harder. In-
tense egotism dried them up. Never had men been
more gracious, more amiable, more frizzed and powdered,
more fascinating; but never had men so heartily de-
spised one another. The one step between contempt
and hatred was cleared at a single bound toward the
30 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
close of the eignteenth century. A hatred till then un-
known, universal and ferocious, filled souls. The day
came on which that hatred, no longer able to restrain
itself, burst forth. Then fearful scenes were witnessed.
Scaffolds were erected, and to them were dragged the
king, the queen, the royal family, the nobles, clergy,
parliament, all kinds of people. Men were drunk with
blood. They massacred one another without being
able to satisfy the madness that dishonored them.
But if this hatred of man for man was at the time
inexplicable, if it pointed to some prodigious derange-
ment in the French nature, what shall we say of the
hatred of men for God ? Everything that recalled His
memory was odious. They cut priests' throats; burnt
monasteries, broke crucifixes, riddled statues at the
church doors ; profaned altars by the most revolting ob-
scenities; rolled consecrated Hosts in the dust, then
cast them into the flames, and performed around them
lascivious dances. Never before had the like shocked
Heaven. During the early part of the nineteenth cen-
tury, there were seen in our cities and villages wander
ers whom the sight of such horrors had crazed.
Behold what the French nation, so noble, so generous,
had become ! That old Frankish race which had con
tracted with Jesus Christ so beautiful an alliance; which
had received from Heaven incomparable gifts; which,
magnificent in gratitude, had cast on the religion of Jesus
Christ the greatest human glory ever received from any
nation; whose kings esteemed themselves honored in
being called the EMest Sons of the Church, — behold how
it has fallen ! Love grew cold, and then, as often hap-
pens, we see it totally extinguished in hatred against
self and God. We behold the descendants of those
sturdy Franks with cries of fury tearing out their own
intestines, if we may use the expression, and France be-
come an enduring example of a nation straying from its
course and unfaithful to its mission.
State of the Church in France at her Birth. 3 1
Still this ebullition of hatred was not the saddest
symptom. Coldness soon entered into its hatred, as
once before into its love. For that Christ whom it had
loved so much, it now felt only indifference. We be-
hold France during the first fifty years of the nineteenth
century coolly effacing His name from her laws and
constitutions. Even His memory she could no longer
tolerate in her official life. She banished Him from her
soil; but being forced to let Him return, she inclosed
Him in His churches, or, as she said disdainfully, in His
sacristies, and forbade Him to appear in public. Thus
unfaithful and adulterous, after an explosion of rage
against Him who had so much loved her, she sought
even to efface Him from her memory.
What a misfortune could such things be done with
impunity! But God does not permit that. The woman
who has once freely given her heart may desert the ob-
ject of her choice, may throw herself into the arms of
her guilty love, may be intoxicated for the moment ; but
happiness has fled from her forever. Never again can
she taste the peaceful charm of innocent affection; never
again can she know the dignity of the wife, the honorof the
mother, and those other joys so unmixed because blessed
by God. Thus it is with France in her sad nineteenth
century, now drawing to a close. Unfaithful to her
mission, she has lived to behold her grandest gifts
turned against herself. Vainly has she called science
and genius to her aid. France is no longer the same.
She no longer exerts a world-wide influence. She no
longer rests on the same elevated plain; each day sees a
new step toward the abyss. Yesterday, in the name of
pretended political rights, she banished her kings and
tore her constitutions into shreds. To-day, there is
question as to whether she will guard the family tie,
the right of property; whether, in fact, society itself
shall remain standing. One catastrophe evokes another.
France is quaking to her verv foundations; and we may
32 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
confidently look forward to the time in which an honest
man will not find on the once generous soil of France a
stone whereon to rest his head.
And yet she pursues her follies. She sows impiety
broadcast. She makes use of her beautiful language,
that ideal tongue, to propagate the brutalities of athe-
ism and materialism. Impious and voluptuous, she
dances on Vesuvius in flames. The world looks on
alarmed, and asks what would become of the remnant of
faith, of religion and morality, in Europe, if France were
still queen of the nations.
One might have thought that, after such an abandon-
ment of her sacred vocation, God would have indignantly
rejected France, that He would have withdrawn her
mission, and with it the gifts received for its accomplish-
ment, but which have now become useless to her. But
in those pitiable divorces in which man sunders what
God had united, something very wonderful occasionally
happens, and that is, the abandoned, the betrayed, the
unloved, continues to love. He pursues the unfaithful
one with a love from which love never dies. He multi-
plies benefits in his eagerness to reach the heart from
which he cannot sever his own. He says with the poet:
M I have lavished them upon thee,
I wish to lavish them upon thee."
This was what was seen here. Knowing France, know-
ing that no nation is so capable of excesses so sad ; but
knowing, also, that none can compare with her in fervor
of repentance, none in ardor of love, God resolved to
conquer her by the force of His own tenderness. One
day He appeared and, laying bare His breast, showed
her His Heart, and demanded hers in return. Eighteen
hundred years have rolled away since Jesus Christ died
on the Cross, and no genius has yet succeeded in repre-
senting Him to us in His ideal beauty. After Raphael
and Leonardo da Vinci, even after Blessed Angelico, the
State of the Church in France at her Birth. 33
crucifix is still a piece of art g^. a :ian any painting.
And sc .ad revelation of infinite
lore. No one will s - - / . ■ - - - ::on
of Jest . -ance and fee .hat look in which
-oach was drowned in tenderness; that gesture of un-
recognized love; that breast glowing like a furnace;
that Heart shining like the sun ! All this will reach the
ii of beauty only in the ecstatic contemplations of the
saints; and the ages as they roll on will learn from
astonished humanity the grandeur of this stupendous
it. Two hundred years since the apparition took
place, and we a- 00 near to measure its ma-
jestic - iofls. It was bora a: a time in which
'.nee deemed herself at the pinnacle of her glory; but
in whic 0 sounds the heart and reins of man,
^ady perceived the worm about to touch the flower
and blight it on its stem. Unknowa, or vaguely under-
n the eight* ■- - .: -. : t - : . as too sceptical
and too sensual for emotions so pure; not shown upon
our altars till the nineteenth century; having need of
overwhelming misfortunes to be welcomed bj' soc.
its distress, — the devotion to the Heart of Jesus will
probably not reach the sublime acme of its expansion
until the twentieth century, when will be drawn the ]
consequences of the fatal principles that are now ruining
us, and when shall occ . - " .fortunes more frightful than
those we have yet experienced. Then, in that storm of
consummate evil, shall arise the perfect remec . -
: .1 lift her despairing eyes to that Heart ■ which has
so loved men." She will consecrate herst 1 rmAmAt^
lore, and thus arise from the abyss.
In expectation of this glorious event, we must study
the genesis of the great devotion. For this we must
-.sport ourselves to Paray-le-Monial, where it was re-
. pping on our way at Yen 1 na where was
born the lowly virgin to whom it was first confided — its
first apostie, the humble Margaret.
j4 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
CHAPTER II.
BIRTH OF SAINT MARGARET MARY. FIRST YEARS.
CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH.
1 647-1 662.
"Sicut lilium!"
" As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters..*
— Cant. ii. 2.
" Tota pulchra es, arnica mea, et macula non est in te."
" Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee."
— Cant. iv. 7.
5N setting out from Paray for Verosvres, one leaves
on his right the little town of Charolles. He
admires as he passes along the sweet and tran-
quil beauty of the horizon's broad lines imperceptibly
lost in the distance, and, at a turn of a high, wooded
mountain, comes suddenly upon a landscape whose
novelty strikes him with surprise. It is a vast amphi-
theatre of granite rocks, four leagues, perhaps, by five.
One might think them moulded from the molten mass of
earth's first formation, and then suddenly cooled. They
form against the horizon a chain of jagged mountain-
peaks, rising one above the other like the tiers of an am-
phitheatre. In vain has ever-fruitful nature scattered
amidst these deeply embedded rocks and on their lofty
summits clusters of tall oaks, and even some sombre
forest pines. At every turn the granite surface dis-
places the verdure, and immense blocks rising through
the trees produce the effect of gigantic ruins.
If one looks back from the distant horizon, a similar
scene presents itself. Deep, narrow valleys, sudden
projections; ponds that seem to occupy the place of ex-
tinct craters; streams of clear, sparkling spring-water,
Birth, Childhood, and Youth. . 35
the happy privilege of granite soil; and here and there
in the fields enormous blocks, framed in wild broom
and heath rising to the sun. Now we have the picture;
and it would be sombre were it not so varied. There
is in it something sublime and austere that invites one
to silence and recollection. The vast horizon, the lofty
mountains, the massive rocks that defy man's power to
move; the sterile soil that exacts abundant sweat,
and gives but poor harvests in return, — all these make
felt the grandeur of God and the littleness of man. We
might say that this corner of the world was created ex-
pressly to awaken the desire for heaven.
In the centre of the amphitheatre and on its highest
peak, rises a church, rebuilt unhappily, and now dedi
cated to the Sacred Heart. This is the church of Ver-
osvres. ' The village, instead of grouping around
the church, is scattered in all directions. We noticed
on different sides groups of houses forming little ham-
lets, inhabited by husbandmen and farmers. Each of
these hamlets has its name. It was in that of Lhautecour,
1 Tae new church has been rebuilt some years. Although we grant
that the old one .ii which Margaret was baptized, in which she prayed,
received holy Communion so frequently, and was ravished into ecstasy,
needed rebuilding, yet an intelligent and Christian architect like those
of the Middle Ages would have found means to enclose the most pre-
cious parts of the old edifice in the new. For example, the apse with
its altar and Communion-table he would have made a chapel. Instead
of this, everything was destroyed, razed to the ground, not a stone
preserved. Even the altar was demolished; even the baptismal font
was not spared. At Assisi is shown the font in which St, Francis was
baptized; in Spain, that of St. Dominic; at Siena, the spot upon which
St. Catharine knelt : but here in Verosvres is found nothing suggestive
of sweet reminiscences. A huge, cold church without souvenir or
legend. Alas! God grant that what has been done here be not soon
repeated at Ars! There, too, has been begun an immense church, which
threatens the destruction of the poor old one of the venerable cure.
Even a short time after his death we approached the confessional in
which he passed his life, and which ought to be held sacred as a relic, and
we found a missionary of Ars installed in it! Oh, how frivolous isouv
age! Nothing now commands respect)
36 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoqitc.
running in a right line behind the apse of the church
and within a quarter of an hour's distance from it, that
Margaret Mary was born.1
Her father was Claude Alacoque. He belonged to
that portion of the French nation which, in 1647, was
nothing and yet was preparing to be everything; which,
while waiting, was silently amassing fortune and influ-
ence; which had not yet lost, thanks to God, either faith
or morals. His dwelling, which is still standing, pos-
sesses a certain degree of style with its two large main
buildings, separated by a courtyard. The first served
as a family residence. It was commonly called the " cabi-
net house," because in it was the office of Mr. Alacoque,
royal notary of Lhautecour. There is also to be seen
the room in which Margaret was born, now transformed
into a chapel and dedicated to the Sacred Heart. The
beams and rafters of the ceiling are covered with alle-
gorical pictures in the Renaissance style. In the middle
of them is a cartouch, supported by two cupids, on
which are inscribed the Alacoque arms; for this family,
already ancient, had its arms. " It bore on a field of
gold a red cock at the summit, and a lion, also red, at the
base of the shield." a .This building was consumed by
fire, traces of which are yet seen. It was rebuilt later
on, but all that now remains of it is the square tower
at the end of the edifice, in which Margaret Mary was
born.3
1 One or Iwo documents lightly studied and only partly understood
have, in these latter times, cast a shade of obscurity on this point. We
shall see in a note at the end of the volume that the fact is not even to
be questioned, and that a contemporaneous tradition, uninterrupted and
unanimous, permits no doubt on the birth of Margaret at the hamlet of
Lhautecour in the village of V6r0SVT8S.
2 " The coat-of-arms of Chrysostom Alacoque, mayor for life of
Bois-Marie, bears on a field of gold a red cock at the summit, and a
lion, also red, at the base of the shield" (Tome ii. p. 205).
* The tradition of the country is that the residence of Mr. Ala-
Birth, Childhood, and Youth. $7
The other building is in front, perfect and entire, the
entrance through an arched gateway now closed. It is
probable that it also served as a dwelling for the Ala-
coque family, either after the fire had consumed part of
the adjoining house, or when their increase in numbers
rendered the first too small. On the ground-floor were
three large rooms, with large chimney-places and planks
and beams black from age. An exterior gallery, the
stairs to which were formed of large blocks of granite,
now disjointed and broken, led to the second story, which
consisted of two spacious apartments opening on the
gallery. In the first, in a corner to the east, is found a
small room which is still. called the "Chamber of the
Venerable." The ceiling is covered with pictures rep-
resenting a hunt, in which figure a lion, a tiger, an
ostrich, an elephant, etc. These pictures are of the same
style and appear to be by the same hand as that which
ornamented the other parts of the building. There are
no paintings in the second room, but it is beautifully
floored with oak carefully joined, which sufficiently in-
dicates that the dwelling was not a mere farm-house.
A court separates the two buildings. The old walls
may still be seen, and, strange sight ! the roofs are
formed of granite flags of a single piece. The whole is
surrounded by gardens terminating in a little wood,
which clothes the rapid descent into a narrow valley.
This was the whole extent of the property. In the cen-
coque, at least that portion of it which they called the " cabinet house,"
was destroyed by fire. M. l'abbe Beauchamps testified to this fact in
1 831, on the assurance of the oldest inhabitants of the country. Even
before learning this tradition, it was evident to us. By a careful study
of the first building, we discovered traces of fire, and saw that the re-
pairs had been made with inferior materials. The square tower, in
which was the saint's chamber, had been converted into a chapel. It
alone escaped the flames, and it alone presents an appearance of age.
It was from not having proved this fact that M. l'abbe Beauchamps
and M. l'abbe Devercheres blundered in their researches. They sought,
we know not where, traces of a burned house, but sought in vain!
38 Life qfSatfU Margaret Mar\ ... pu,
tre of the little valley darts up one of those immense
blocks of granite with which, as we have seen above,
the whole country is sown. It formed for twenty years
Margaret's chosen solitude, her refuge in hours of trial,
the scene of her prayer, the witness of her first ecsta-
sies.
The spacious dwelling had passed into the Alacoque
family in consequence of the marriage of the grandfather
of the saint with Jane Delaroche,1 whose patrimony it
was. Claude had received the title of eldest son, or
perhaps, as was the custom, that of co-heir. He had an
unmarried sister named Catharine, who lived with him.
Another sister, named Benedicta. married Toussaint
Delaroche, and became the mother of four children.
In accordance with the custom of these patriarchal fam-
ilies, she, too, dwelt with her brother. Lastly, he had
a brother named Antoine. He was in Holy Orders and,
at this time, cure of Yerosvres. Besides the care of his
domain, the charge of which rested particularly on his
brother-in-law Toussaint Delaroche, Mr. Claude Ala-
coque held the office of royal notary of Lhautecour.
Later on he joined thereto the title of judge for the
seigniories of la Roche, Terreau, Corcheval, and Pre
All this, together with the highest reputation for honor
and integrity, had made Claude a man of consideration
scarcely a degree below the neighboring nobility, and
very much superior to the common people.
Hence we find his name on every page of the parish
register of Yerosvres. There is not a marriage at Lhau-
tecour in which he does not figure as witness, and,
what is more extraordinary, scarcely a baptism in which
he is not godfather. In the latter case, whether owing
to his title of royal notary or on account of his beauti-
According to the archrres found in the Chateau D\A.udour,
see that they were originally of the hamlet of Audour, parish of
Dompierre-les-Ormes, and that tins' I largaret.
who married Jane Dfc . gum :: re: le :-.: Lhaateooar.
Birth. Childhood, and Youth. \ -.
t ui penmanship, his brother Antoine. cure of Verosrres
in variably handed him the pea, and it was be who reg-
> .."':;- -•- '*.-. -■:*. .-. -- . .'. .". -*"i -v f.v* -«-•:-:■».*- .7
years old, married Mile. Phifiberte Laanm, then nine-
teen. Both were pious and worth y of gmsf birth to a
saint. Of this union, blessed by God, were i»rr serec
children, four sons and three daughters,"
Margaret was the fifth child. She was bom on July
c 647, feast of St- Magdalen, and was not baptized,
we know not why, until three days after, the 25th, in
the church of Verosrres. Her own uncle, her father's
brother, M. Antoine Alacoque, cure of Verosrres, was
her godfather. The godmother was Madame Margue-
rite de Saint-Amour, wife of M. de Fantrieres, lord of
CorcheraL' The noble family wished to give this pub-
lic proof of the high esteem in which they held M. A2a-
God, who destined this holy child to rekindle in the
should first be consumed in it- As a little one, she
lt*£:t.*i '.r.Iy :'-.r >; . : C'.-:: ;--■: :**-*■: : -. 7 :~. . _-
I- ±* -_.-'. *: -.: :'-- \ -. -. Z A;-:..- v - -- -."-* r-::ri; ;:'
isihUiilli rln fcwilaiM if w fililf r infM rwf iifTTini , 11I11
.:- v - ■■:": ::::: •:-. :- :^: r.::": .': _:t:; - . -..-
part of Scnw Margaret Marys fife ; aoagk we axe ua^e 10 do
* Here is the baptismal register :
Margaret, daogbter of M. CZaade Alacotpe. royal aofarr. and «
_;. r..---. ■-_ ■'.,- -"--, ■j-.y.z--. :j :- _-,i*-:_i-~: :-.-- -.:
Verosrres, Wednesday, Jary *£, *6*7- I, Ker. Aanwae A^coqee.
rile de Sc Amour, wife of Most de Corcaeval. who ase anami'iiis.
- C. Dt FArmnos. M. de St. Ajsock.
ConcfurTAi. Ajtt. Aiarnqro."
40 .Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
please Him. " From the age of two or three years,"
writes her first historian, " she had so great horror of
even the least shadow of sin, that to curb her childish
inclinations it was sufficient to tell her that it was offen-
sive to God. Nothing more was necessary ; she yielded
at once." *
" O my only Love," exclaims Margaret, " how in-
debted I am to Thee for having prevented me from my
tenderest youth, for having made Thyself Master of my
heart ! As soon as I came to the use of reason, Thou
didst display before my soul the deformity of sin, and
this impressed me with such horror for it that the least
stain was to me insupportable torment. To restrain the
vivacity of my childhood, my friends had only to say
that what I wished was perhaps displeasing to God.
This put an end to my childish pranks." a
1 " Abridgment of the Life of Sister Margaret M. Alacoque, Relig-
ious of the Visitation of Holy Mary, of whom God made use to estab-
lish devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, and who died in the
odor of sanctity, October 17, 1690." Published at Lyons by Antoine
and Horace Molin, 1691, the year following the death of Margaret
Mary. It has been republished in our times by Rev. C. Daniel, in one
vol. i2tno (Paris, Douniol, 1865).
8 " Memoire " written by the saint by order of Rev. Father Rollin, her
director. Autographic MSS. belonging to the Visitation of Paray. Of
the different Me moires written by the saint in obedience to her direct-
ors, this is the only one that has escaped the flames, the same power
forbidding its destruction. It was never finished. But as it begins
with her birth and includes the revelations of the Sacred Heart, it is
of inestimable value, as well for the relation itself, as for the manner
in which her story is told. One feels impressed at every instant with
the sublimity of a Teresa and the heart-felt and touching utterances of
an Augustine. It alone suffices to prove the truth of the revelations,
whilst demonstrating the beauty, sincerity, purity, and humility of the
soul to whom they were made. We shall copy from it as often as pos-
sible, thus giving it to our readers almost entire. It was first edited
by Pere de Gallifet, at the end of his beautiful treatise on " The Ex-
cellence of Devotion to the Adorable Heart of Jesus Christ." Pere
Charles Daniel republished it in 1865. Many other editions appeared
in the mean time, but in all were detected numerous faults. In 1867
Birth, Childhood, and Youth. 41
Her b/other Chrysostom relates a charming example
in this connection. "Whilst still a child," said he, "she
evinced singular marks of sanctity, fervor, and horror
of sin. Once at carnival-time when I was seven years
old and my little sister five, I proposed to exchange
dress with her. Mine was a soldier's suit, and I had a
sword with which I was going to sally forth against the
farmers whom I espied approaching. Margaret replied
that it would perhaps offend God and that she did not
wish to do anything displeasing to Him. She had no
desire either to imitate or to accompany the maskers.
The child was then only five years old." 1
To this delicacy of conscience was added such a love
of prayer, with instincts for penance so precocious and
so astonishing, that there is no room to doubt, say her
first historians, that for several centuries her like was
never seen.2
the Visitation of Paray determined to publish a carefully collated edi-
tion of the original. It formed part of the work entitled " Life and
Works of Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque," 2 vols. 8vo (Paris, Pous«
sielgue, 1867). This is the edition from which we shall cite.
1 " Process of Beatification and Canonization of the Venerable Servant
of God, Margaret Ma/y Alacoque, Religious of the Visitation, B. V. M.,
of the Convent of Paiay in Burgundy," published by authority of the
ordinary in 1 71 5; 1 vol. in folio MS. belonging to the Visitation ol
Paray, approved and signed by the ecclesiastical commissaries. We
have carefully studied it, and all our citations are made from th«
original.
2 " Life of the Blessed by Contemporaries." They call this a
"Memoire" written by two of the religious of Paray contemporary with
Margaret Mary: Sister Frances Rosalie Verchere and Sister Peronne
Rosalie de Farges. This "Memoire ' had been compiled for Mgr. Lan-
guet, Archbishop of Sens, Vicar-General of Autun, when he was pre-
paring to write the "Life of the Blessed." After using it, and the
"Life" had appeared (1 vol. 4to, 1719), he returned to the Visitation
of Paray this "M6 moire," which formed the basis of his work. Con-
sidered henceforth useless, it remained among the MSS. in the archives
of the convent. Finally, the religious of Paray published a first edition
carefully collated from the original and even increased from documents
preserved in their archives. It forms the first volume of the work
42 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
At the age of four and a half years, Margaret left her
father's house to reside with her godmother, Mme. de
Fautrieres de Corcheval, who greatly desired to have
the child with her. Perhaps the increasing number of
M. Alacoque's children, already seven, had inspired this
noble lady with the thought of relieving the burden of
so excellent a family. Perhaps, too, having no children,
a privation always regretted by her, she proposed to
adopt her little godchild. M. and Mme. Alacoque,
having their child's interest at heart, consented. This
they did all the more readily, as the castle of Corcheval
was only a league from Lhautecour, and, as M. Claude
was judge of that manor, as well as of Terreau, he was
frequently obliged to go thither. Mme. Alacoque pre-
pared her dear little daughter, and took her herself to
Corcheval. Built in the far-off past, stripped of its
towers by Coligny, who demolished them during the
religious wars when he held possession, and restored
under the reign of Louis XIII., the chateau de Corcheval
still stands, joining to the massive architecture of the
feudal ages the imposing appearance of the magnifi-
cent castles of the seventeenth century. A high moun-
tain covered with forests overshadows it, and the most
beautiful trees in the world, a clump of young horn-
beams three centuries old, wave their verdant branches
under the very windows. The whole place breathes
solitude, and here our holy child developed the rare
beauty of her innocent soul. The deep shadows of the
groves and forest attracted her. " My greatest desire,"
said she, "was to bury myself in some wood; and
nothing prevented me from gratifying it but the fear
of meeting men." 1
Just outside the gate of the castle, and on the very
same terrace, stood the chapel, shaded also by horn-
entitled "Life and Works of the Blessed," of which we are now
speaking.
1 Memoire, p. 290.
Birth, Childhood, and Youth. 43
oeam-trees. Here the little girl often retired. " Here
she passed long hours kneeling, her little hands joined.
Far from growing weary, she esteemed no pleasure in life
equal to that tasted in those moments of silent prayer,
which was never discontinued but with regret."1
" I was constantly urged," she says, " to repeat these
words, the sense of which I did not understand: 'My
God, I consecrate to Thee my purity! My God, I make
to Thee a vow of perpetual chastity! ' Once I repeated
them between the twro elevations of holy Mass, which I
generally heard on my bare knees however cold the
weather might be. I did not know what I had done,
nor what the words voiv and chastity signified." 2 She
understood but one thing, and that was that these
mysterious words, which hovered constantly on her
lips at the most solemn moments, meant the complete
gift of herself to a God whom she esteemed worthy of
all gifts.
At the same time there was born in her that attrac-
tion for prayer which was to make her one of the great-
est contemplatives ever known in the Church. " Frorr
this early age," says Pere Croiset, " the Holy Ghos\
Himself wished to teach her the fundamental point of
the interior life, and bestow upon her the spirit of
prayer. Whenever she could not be found on her knees
in some part of the house, her friends were accustomed
to look for her in the church; and there she was sure to
be discovered immovable before the Blessed Sacra-
ment.7'
The weak health of Mme. de Corcheval did not per-
mit her to superintend, as she wished, Margaret's edu-
cation; therefore she remitted that charge to two of
her lady companions, who taught the child to pray, to
read and write, and to study the catechism. One of
these ladies was gracious and amiable, but Margaret
1 Croiset, Abr/g/, p. 3. 9 M6moire, p. 290.
44 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
fled from her. The other, though harsh and severe,
failed not to attract the little pupil, who preferred the
rebuffs of the one to the caresses of the other. The
sequel will show that this surprising conduct was owing
to one of those secret instincts which God implants in
pure hearts; for later on it was discovered that she who
appeared so gracious was not all that she seemed.
Horror of evil, desire of solitude, flight from men,
love of purity, — behold the first impressions engraven
by God in the soul of this holy child, now in her sixth
year! To perfect the picture here given, we must add
that from her cradle she united to all other graces a
most tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin. " I had
recourse to her," she says, " in all my needs, and she
warded off great dangers from me. I ventured not to
address myself to her Son, but I feared not to go to her.
I offered her the little crown of the Rosary on my bare
knees on the ground, or else I made as many genuflec-
tions as there are Ave Marias, or I kissed the ground at
each." l The Blessed Virgin never lets herself be out-
done in love; and, from her earliest childhood, the dear
little one received most signal graces.
There was no cure for Mme. de Fautriere's malady.
After suffering a long time, she died in 1655, and little
Margaret, then only eight years old, returned to her
family. Hardly had she entered Lhautecour than to
this first misfortune was added a second, though of a far
more serious nature. Her father died at the close of the
same year.2 Still young, scarcely forty-one years old,
bearing the unblemished reputation of an honest man
and a good Christian, he left a young widow and five
little children, the youngest not yet six years old, a very
moderate fortune, and embarrassed affairs. It appears
that this excellent man knew neither how to pay his
1 Memoire, p. 290.
2 Memoire of Chrysostom Alacoque: " the said M. Alacoque having
died in 1655," etc.
Birth, Childhood, and Youth. 45
debts nor to collect his dues.1 His debts were few, his
creditors many. The poor widow accepted courageously
the care of her five children, and resolved to retrieve
her embarrassed fortune. But as this necessitated fre-
quent journeys, which allowed her no leisure to devote
herself to her children's education, she placed the two
eldest sons for a time at Cluny; the other two with
their uncle, M. Antoine Alacoque, cure of Verosvres;
and our holy child was sent to the Poor Clares of
Charolles.
The silence of this sacred cloister, the austerity and
continual prayer of the religious, their nocturnal devo-
tions, their modesty and recollection, made an extraor-
dinary impression upon Margaret. She became con-
scious that this was the kind of life God desired of her.
" I thought," she said, " were I a religious, I should be-
come holy like those around me. I conceived so great
a longing for the life that I breathed but for it. I did
not find the convent in which I was, retired enough for
my taste; but not knowing any other, I thought I must
remain there."3 Let us note this new feature. This
convent of Poor Clares, enclosed by austere grates,
shrouded in silence and fervor, was not sufficiently re-
tired to satisfy the craving after a hidden life already
experienced by this young child. From the cradle to
the tomb, that desire of hers was to go on increasing.
Hardly had she entered with the Poor Clares, when
they prepared her to make her first Communion. She
was only nine years old; but her angelic dispositions
supplied the defect of age. The results were extraor-
dinary. Margaret was gay, lively, naturally given to
play and amusement; but from this day, she no longer
found in them the same attraction. " This first Com-
1 We judge of this from the fact of the physician's bill sent the widow
at this time. It comprised the accounts of the entire family for te?
years. These accounts are at the Visitation convent of Paray.
8 Memoire, p. 291.
46 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
munion," she said, "infused so much bitterness into all
the little pleasures and amusements of my age that I
could find no relish in them, though I still sought them
eagerly. When I desired to share my companions' games,
I always felt something restraining me, something that
called me apart; and I had no peace until I obeyed.
The same impulse made me begin to pray, almost always,
provided I was not seen, on my bare knees, or making
genuflections. To be observed was for me inconceivable
torment." *
A very serious illness at this time endangered the
child's life, and obliged her family to withdraw her
from the Poor Clares. She returned to Lhautecour,
where she was surrounded with the tenderest care by
her mother and brothers, who loved her dearly. They
did everything to promote her cure, but in vain. " They
could," said she, " find no cure for my malady till they
gave me to the Blessed Virgin. They promised her, if
I were cured, I should some day be one of her daugh-
ters. I had no sooner made the vow than I was cured.
I ever after experienced the Blessed Virgin's protection
in a manner altogether marked, as of one belonging en-
tirely to her." This was the first public sign of the
special love of God for the holy child. She was deeply
moved by it, and resolved more firmly than ever to be-
long to Him without reserve.
During the solitary hours of this long illness, Mar-
garet's thoughts were centred in God. She says: " I felt
strongly attracted to prayer. But this attraction gave
me much suffering, as I was unable to satisfy it. I knew
not how to make prayer, and I had no one to teach me.
I knew nothing more of it than the name, but that name
itself ravished my heart."
Margaret then turned to God, and with tears conjured
Him to teach her the secret. He did it with admirable
goodness. " The Sovereign Master taught me how He
wished me to pray, and that lesson has served me all
1 M6morte *n t r\\
Birth, Childhood, and Youth. 47
my life. He made me prostrate humbly before Him to
ask pardon for everything by which I had offended
Him. After having adored Him, I offered Him my
prayer without knowing how I was going to make it.
Then He presented Himself to me in the mystery in
which He wished me to consider Him. He applied my
mind to it so forcibly, ingulfing my soul and all my
powers in Himself, that I felt no distraction. My heart
was consumed with the desire of loving Him, and that
gave me an insatiable hunger after holy Communion
and sufferings." '
God was about to hear both these desires. When
Margaret was brought back ill to Lhautecour, she did
not notice the great change that had come over it. The
efforts of her mother to retrieve the fortune of the
family had not been successful. A new lease of the
land had been made in the name of the minors. It was
concluded not with their mother, but with Toussaint
Delaroche, their uncle, who had summarily enough taken
the management of affairs. His wife was installed abso-
lute mistress at Lhautecour, where were already her
grandmother, Mme. Alacoque, nde Delaroche, and hei
daughter Catharine, who was not married. Little by
little, the poor widow had been pushed aside and de-
prived of all influence. Whether on account of her
incapacity for business, or that the family held her re-
sponsible for their straitened circumstances, she received
from them only sharp words and ill-humor. Margaret
tells this in ambiguous words, without mentioning names.
She takes extreme precaution not to reveal the guilty;
but from the restrained emotion with which, twenty years
after, she spoke in less reserved language, we can under-
stand what a soul naturally so sensitive and impetuous
as hers must have had to suffer.
" God permitted my mother," she says, " to be deprived
of authority in her own house, and to be forced to yield it
1 M6moire, p. 291.
48 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
to others. Those in charge so lorded it over her that
both she and I were soon reduced to a state of captivity.
It is not my intention in what I am going to say to
blame those persons. I do not wish to think that they
did wrong in making me suffer. Far from me such a
thought, my God ! I regard them rather as instruments
of whom God made use to accomplish His holy will.
We had no freedom in our own house, and we dared do
nothing without permission. It was a continual war.
Everything was under lock and key, so that I could not
even find my apparel when I wished to goto holy Mass.
I was even obliged to borrow clothes. I felt this slavery
keenly, I must acknowledge." The pain of such a posi-
tion was still more increased by odious suspicions. " It
was at this time," says she, " that with all my strength
I sought my consolation in the Most Blessed Sacrament
of the Altar. But being in a country-house far from
church, I could not go there without the consent of
these same persons; and it so happened that the per-
mission granted by one was often withheld by the other.
When my tears showed the pain I felt, they accused me
of having made an appointment with some one, saying
that I concealed it under the pretext of going to Mass
or Benediction. This was most unjust, fori would have
consented rather to see myself cut into a thousand
pieces than to entertain such thoughts." !
" Not knowing where to seek refuge," she adds, ;< I
hid myself in a retired corner of the garden, in the
stable, or in some other out-of-the-way place where I
could, unobserved, kneel and pour out my heart in tears
before God. This I always did through my good Mother,
the most Blessed Virgin, in whom I had placed all my
confidence. I remained there entire days without eat-
ing or drinking. Sometimes the poor villagers, pitying
my condition, gave me in the evening a little fruit or
milk. When I ventured to return to the house, it was
1 Memorie, p. 292.
Birth, Childhood, mid Youth. 49
with such fear and trembling as, it seems to me, a poor
criminal endures when about to receive sentence of con-
demnation." 1
She adds: "I should have esteemed myself much
more happy begging from door to door the bread which
frequently I dare not take from the table, than living in
this way. The moment I entered the house, the bat-
teries were opened more fiercely than ever. I was re-
proached with neglecting the house and the children of
those dear benefactors of my soul.3 I was not allowed
to say one word. The night I passed as I had done the
day, pouring out tears at the foot of my crucifix."
But this was not yet Margaret's greatest trial. She
loved her mother tenderly ; consequently, she suffered
fearfully at seeing her thus humbled in her own house.
" The rudest cross I had to bear was my inability to alle-
viate my mother's trials. They were a thousand times
harder for me than my own. I dared not even console
her by a word, fearing to offend God by taking pleasure
in talking over our troubles. But it was in my beloved
mother's sickness that my affliction became extreme.
She suffered much from being left to my care and little
services. Necessary nourishment was withheld from her
by our jailers, and I was forced to beg from the villagers
eggs and other things suitable for the sick. This was a
special torment to me, for I was naturally timid, and I
was frequently received very rudely." s
It is useless to add that God never abandons His
1 Memoire, p. 293.
2 No, net the children of the married domestics, as some historians
ignorant of the process of her canonization have imagined. In that
process we see that those dear benefactors of her soul " were the mem-
bets of her own family." (Proces, p. 54.) We have named them
£.bove. The children here in question were the four little ones of
Toussaint Delaroche — John, Margaret (to whom our saint was god-
mother), Antony, and Jane Gabrielle. The eldest was eight years old,
and the youngest three.
8 Memoire, p. 293.
50 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
faithful servants in such sorrows. On one particular
occasion, when her mother was ill of erysipelas in its
worst form, a young village physician was called in.
He bled her, but said on leaving that nothing short of a
miracle could save her life. The holy child, not know-
ing what else to do, ran to the church. It was the feast
of the Circumcision. Margaret implored God with tears
to be Himself her poor mother's physician. We do not
know exactly how the thing happened, for the saint's
humble recital is full of reserve. But when she returned
home, she found that the swelling of her mother's cheek
had disappeared ; and, contrary to all human appear-
ances, the wound healed in a few days.1
Behold in what hard trials Margaret's childhood
passed ! She was now scarcely fifteen. Happily, suf-
fering, humiliations, and contempt are no obstacles to
sanctity ; they are, on the contrary, when accepted by
the soul, the most active and powerful agents thereto.
Persecuted, humbled, almost driven from her home, the
pious child sought refuge in God. She prayed inces-
santly, and began at this tender age to practise most
austere penances. Her brother Chrysostom asserts that
from her earliest childhood she was not satisfied with
long prayer in church. The deponent often found her
praying on her knees2 in retired corners of the house.
She practised, he affirmed, almost from infancy, many
austerities and macerations, as fasting, iron chains, dis-
ciplines, and cinctures. These last often penetrated the
flesh. She slept on a plank, and passed the night in
prayer. The servants of M. Alacoque declared that she
sometimes forgot to go to bed, and that they often
found her on her knees.
To sustain her in such trials, the Lord began to ap-
pear to her. She was not astonished, for she believed
that others were favored in the same way. It was or-
1 Memoire, p. 295.
9 Proc&s of 1 71 5, Deposition of Chrysostom.
Births Childhood, and Youth. 51
dinarily " under the form of the Crucified, or of the Ecce
Homo, or as carrying His cross." This sight roused her
soul to iove so great, that the hardships she endured,
the slavery, contempt, beggary, and even the blows she
received, appeared to her light and sweet. " Some-
times," said she, "when they were about to strike me, I
was distressed that their raised hands were stayed, and
that they did not exercise upon me all their strength.
I felt constantly urged to render all sorts of good ser-
vices to these persons, as to the true friends of my soul.
I had no greater pleasure than to do and say all the
good I could of them." ]
Let no one imagine that Margaret was one of those
cold, apathetic natures that feel nothing. She was, on
the contrary, extremely tender and sensitive. She felt
keenly the slightest want of attention, and expanded
like a delicate flower under the least proof of affection.
Her innate pride rendered such a life insupportable.
She was gay, sprightly, intelligent, and fond of pleasure
to a degree that might at any moment have exposed her
to serious danger in the world. But she repeats on
every page of her Memoire that it is not she that is act-
ing thus, it is her Sovereign Lord, who was making
Himself master of her soul, and directing her in all
things.
It was, above all, to the Blessed Sacrament that she
turned for consolation and strength. As soon as a free
moment was hers, she ran, or rather she flew, to the
church ; and once inside the door, she could no longer
restrain her footsteps. Love impelled her to the foot
of the altar, and she could never get near enough to
the tabernacle. " I was wholly unable to recite vocal
prayers before the Blessed Sacrament," said she, " and
once in its presence I became so absorbed that I knew
no weariness. I could have passed days and nights
before it without eating or drinking. I do not know
1 Memoire, p. 295.
52 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
exactly how I employed those moments. I only know
that, like a burning taper, I was consumed in its pres-
ence, rendering Jesus love for love. I could not remain
in the lower part of the church, and, despite the con-
fusion it might cause me, I had to draw as near as I
could to the altar on which reposed the Blessed Sacra-
ment. And yet I did not think myself happy even
there. I envied those that could communicate fre-
quently, and that were free to remain long in the Sacra-
mental Presence. I tried to gain the friendship of such
persons, that I might enjoy the privilege ot going with
them to spend some moments with Jesus Christ in this
mystery." '
Margaret did not always succeed in the accomplish-
ment of the desire just expressed. As we have seen,
"the consent of three persons was necessary, and what
one granted the others refused." On such occasions
the pious child ran to hide herself in some corner of the
garden, to pray and weep before God. There was one
spot specially dear to her. Some steps west of the
house a steep declivity, clothed with a little thicket, led
down to a very deep vale. It may have been in far-off
times, when our globe was a mere molten mass, a pas-
sage of burning lava, or a torrent of water ; for its
remains might be a monument of either. It consisted
of an immense block of granite of extraordinary dimen-
sions, left there by the flow, unable to drag it farther.
Our holy child loved this solitary spot, which was just
on the boundary of her own garden, and there she often
took refuge. Protected behind, and, as it were, veiled
by the thicket at the side of the house, it had directly
in view the apsis containing the main altar of the
church, which was less than half a mile distant. From
this block of granite, however, the ground rises so
rapidly to the church that one might think the distance
less ; it seems to be only a few steps across the valley.
1 M^moire, p. 297.
Birth, Childhood, and Youth. 53
At night the little lamp burning before the tabernacle
could be seen from the windows of the Alacoque man-
sion. It was there that her Lord and Master dwelt,
despoiled of glory, abandoned by creatures, a thousand
times more neglected and humiliated than she could
ever be. Such thoughts made her heart melt into love.
Tears welled up and, leaning on the granite block, her
eyes and heart riveted on the tabernacle, Margaret was
lost for hours in contemplation.
54 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
CHAPTER III.
MARGARET'S VOCATION— SHE ENTERS THE VISITATION
OF PARAY.
1662-1671.
" In charitate perpetua dilexi te."
" I have loved thee with an everlasting love." — Jeremias xxxi. 3.
" Posuit signum in faciem meam, ut nullum praeter eum amatorem
admittam."
" He has placed His seal upon my forehead, that I may admit no
lover but Himself." — Rom. Brev, Ant. of St. Agnes.
HUS grew in the solitude of Lhautecour, beauti-
ful and pure, hidden from all eyes, even from
those of her kinsmen, the holy child whom God
had chosen for things so great. She herself was more
ignorant than others of what was being done in her.
She breathed only for God. Her only ambition was
" to be consumed in HLs presence like a burning taper,
and so return Him love for love."
From such a life to the cloister there is but one step ;
and we might expect to see Margaret take it without
one regret for a world of which she knew naught but its
trials, and from which she could part without even a
sigh. But had such been the case, her vocation would
have been void of sacrifice, would have had neither in
the eyes of God nor of man its true value-
It so happened that, as Margaret entered her seven-
teenth year, the circumstances of her surroundings
entirely changed. Her eldest brothers, having arrived
at the age of manhood, took charge of the business
and restored their mother to the position and influence
of which she had been deprived. On the other hand,
Toussaint Delaroche, who had probably died, for we
no longer find mention of him, had in his ten years'
Margaret enters the Visitation of Par ay. 55
rather arbitrary, though intelligent, administration re-
trieved the compromised affairs of the family. Free-
dom came with this change of fortune ; and that
gayety generally found where six or seven children are
just stepping from childhood into youth once more
shed its genial influence over the Alacoque home. In
the country the young marry at an early age, especially
the members of large families. Margaret was only
seventeen, and already several good offers had been
made her. Her eldest brother, now two-and-twenty
and the head of the family, needed a companion. " All
this," says our saint, "brought to our home much com-
pany whom it was necessary for me to meet." Inter-
course with society commenced, and more brilliantly,
perhaps, than her first historians suspect. When we
read the baptismal register of Margaret's brothers and
sisters, we see that almost all had for sponsors the most
noble lords and ladies of the neighboring castles.
Margaret, we remember, had been held over the font by
Mme. de Fautrieres ; and although she was dead, we
cannot believe that the holy child ceased all communi-
cation with the castle of Corcheval. Her brother
Claude Philibert had for godmother Lady Couronne
d'Apchon, widow of John le Roux, Lord of Terreau.1
One of her sisters was carried to holy baptism by Lady
Gilberte Areloup, Baronne Despres. It is the same with
all the others, whose god-parents belonged to the best
families of Charolais. Mme. Alacoque, desirous of
settling her children in life, began to bring them out a
little and to receive visitors at her own house. Mar-
1 Couronne d'Apchon, widow of John le Roux, married for second
husband John Areloup, a gentleman squire of the king's chamber.
Baron of Saint-Peruse. By this marriage he became Lord of Terreau,
She had an only daughter, Gilberte Areloup Lady of Terreau.
who was married in 1640 to M. Claude de Thibaut de Noblet,
Chevalier, Baron Depres, etc. Their son and heir, Pierre de Thibaut
de Noblet, was by the king created Marquis Despr6s.
5 6 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
garet saw at once that she was much noticed and
sought after. And what is singular and almost inex-
plicable is that this young girl who had been so strong
in the midst of adversity, whom neither contempt nor
humiliations could daunt, scarcely beheld the world
smiling upon her, when she began to adorn herself to
please it. She delighted in pleasure-parties, she
shortened her prayers, she remained from confession,
and her soul gradually sank from the height to which
it had been elevated in early childhood. " I began to
see the world and to dress to please it, and I tried to
amuse myself as much as I could." 1
Happily, God watched over this soul upon which He
had designs so great. " But Thou, my God," she con-
tinues, " hadst other designs than those that I formed
in my heart. Thou didst make known to me that it
was hard to kick against the powerful goad of Thy love.
My malice and infidelity made me use every effort and
all my strength to resist its attraction and extinguish
within me its movements. But in vain ! In the midst
of company and amusements, divine love pierced me
with darts so inflamed that they seemed entirely to
consume my heart. The pain stunned me, and yet it
did not suffice to detach a heart so ungrateful as mine,
f felt as if bound with cords, and so forcibly drawn
that I was, at last, forced to follow Him who was call-
ing me. He led me aside and severely reproved me.
Alas! He seemed jealous of this miserable heart."2
Touched by such love, Margaret prostrated on the
ground, begged pardon, and took a long and severe
discipline. "In spite of all this," she adds, " I failed
not to plunge again into vanity, and again I offered the
same resistance."
One day during the carnival she masked to take
part with several of her friends in a ball to which she
had been invited. What tears she shed to expiate
1 Memoire, p. 299. 2 Ibid.
Margaret enters the Visitation of Par ay. 57
" her great sin," as she called it! What fasts and
macerations! And still, wonderful to say, Margaret had
not yet conquered herself. Still bleeding from her
self-imposed discipline, she began again to smile upon
the world.
It was on her return from this ball that the Lord
awaited her. "That evening," she says, "as I was
taking off Satan's accursed livery, for thus I term my
vain adornments, my Sovereign Master presented Him-
self before me all disfigured as He was during His
flagellation. He reproached me, saying that it was my
vanity which had reduced Him to such a state ; that I
was losing infinitely precious time of which He would
demand of me a rigorous account at the hour of death ;
and that I had betrayed and persecuted Him after He
had given me so many proofs of His love. This made
so strong an impression upon me and wounded my
heart so painfully that I wept bitter tears." '
Then, taking God's part against herself, jealous of
seeing such love despised by so wretched a creature,
feeling that there was no torment that she did not
deserve and that she could not endure, Margaret un-
covered her shoulders and disciplined them to blood.
"To avenge in some manner on myself the injury I had
done Him, I bound this miserable, criminal body with
knotted cords, which I drew so tightly that I could
hardly breathe or eat. I kept them on so long that
they ate into my flesh. It was only by force and at the
cost of cruel suffering that I could get them off again.
It was the same with the little chains that I clasped
around my arms. I could not remove them without
tearing off with them pieces of flesh. I slept on planks,
or strewed my bed with sharp sticks." But Margaret
never spoke of these things. She so carefully hid her
macerations that no one suspected them. Although in
the flower of her age and the freshness of youth, they
1 MSmoire, p. 300.
5 8 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
saw her, without apparent cause, " suddenly grow pale
and thin."1
Let us remark that, on hearing the saints speaking
thus bitterly of trifling faults, which they expiated so
cruelly, we are sometimes tempted to think them more
guilty than they are. But in our saint's case there was
nothing in her first experience of the world and its
pleasures to tarnish the immaculate purity of her
heart. At twenty Margaret was innocent as a child.
She abhorred the idea of marriage, and the thought
of the slightest sin against holy purity forced tears
from her eyes. Several witnesses in the process of
her canonization solemnly affirmed that she ever pre-
served baptismal innocence. In default of such wit-
nesses, it would suffice to open her Memoire. One
cannot read it without seeing at once the embodiment
of Bossuet's beautiful illustration of the pure of heart.
Let us, borrowing from him, say that, from the cradle
to the grave, Margaret's heart resembled those beautiful
streams one comes upon among the mountains of her
native Burgundy. Hidden in deep caverns, over-
shadowed by the vast horizon, they offer to the traveller
limpid waters whose crystalline purity is ruffled by no
breath.
Protected by her innocence, Margaret would have
triumphed sooner over the seductions of the world, had
not the thought of her mother, whom she so tenderly
loved and whom by her marriage she could extricate
from many difficulties, shaken her purpose. " My
relations," said she, " and especially my dear mother,
urged me incessantly to marry. She wept as she told
me that she saw no hope of release from her misery
except in me; that she would find her consolation in
being with me, as soon as I should be settled in the
world. On the other hand, God's voice pursued me so
vehemently that I had no peace. My vow was ever
1 MSmoire, p. 301.
Margaret enters the Visitation of Par ay. 59
before my eyes with the thought that, if I violated it, I
should be punished with frightful torments."
Truly, the battle was begun; and as the contest was
between the two greatest and most powerful loves on
earth, the love of God and the love of a mother, it was to
be terrible. " O my God!" cried out Margaret, " Thou
alone wast witness of the length of the fearful combat
that I suffered interiorly. I should have yielded with-
out the extraordinary assistance of Thy mercy."
She continues: "The devil, taking advantage of my
love for my mother, incessantly represented to me the
tears she shed; told me that if I became a religious I
should cause her to die of grief; and that I should have
to answer for it to God, since she was entirely depend-
ent on my care. This thought was insupportable, for
our mutual love was so tender that we could not live
apart. At the same time, the desire to be a religious
and to live a life of perfect purity pursued me without
intermission. All this made me suffer a true martyr-
dom. I had no rest, I was constantly in tears; and
having no one. to whom I could disclose my grief, I
knew not how to act. At last, my love for my mother
began to gain the ascendency." '
Ah, how touching is this last word! The spectacle is
the same as that which we admire a thousand times in
the history of St. Chantal. It is ever in souls the most
noble, the purest, that lies the source of the deepest
tenderness; and never do the higher, the legitimate
affections more freely expand, produce more beautiful
flowers, more delicious fruits, than when forced in the
hot-house of a heart warmed by the love of God.
But even Margaret's heart, so long turned to God,
filial tenderness was about to mislead. She began to
examine the terms of her vow. She had made it when
only a very little child, wholly unconscious of what she
was doing: was she, then, bound by it? Could she not
1 M6moire, p. 301.
60 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
readily obtain a dispensation ? She would ask for it.
Then she examined the religious state. It was too high
for her; she could never reach its perfection. By em-
bracing it, she would lose the liberty of performing
penances and charities. By such reasoning she was
strongly tempted to renounce it altogether.
Three or four years, from 1663 to 1667, passed in these
terrible alternations between the world and God. At
the end of this period, as Margaret was entering her
twentieth year, she felt the desire of being a religious
rekindle within her. " My desire became so ardent,"
she said, " that I resolved to execute it at any cost."
She had constantly before her the beauty of the virtues,
particularly of humility, voluntary poverty, and chas-
tity. She read the lives of the saints with delight ; but
she avoided those of the greatest servants of God, whose
heroism she felt unable to imitate. Opening the book,
she would say : " Let me look for a saint easy to imitate,
that I may do as she did." But hardly had she begun
to read before her tears flowed abundantly, on seeing
that the saint had not offended God as she herself had
done, or that she had spent long years in penance.1
Convinced that she could never love God as He de-
serves to be loved, Margaret resolved to devote hersell
to the service of the poor. She so compassionated their
miseries that, had it been in her power, she would have
retained nothing for herself. " When I had any money,"
said she, " I gave it to some poor little ones, to induce
them to come and learn from me their prayers and
catechism ; and they flocked to me in such crowds that
in winter I knew not where to put them." For this
purpose, she made use of a large room still existing and
which formed part of the second building of her home.
It was reached by an exterior stairway. It is in the
middle of this chamber that Margaret's little cell is
found.
1 Memoire, p. 301.
Margaret enters the Visitation of Par ay, 61
Sometimes when her brother saw the crowd of poor
children crossing the courtyard, he would say to his
sister pleasantly, i* Sister dear, are you going to be a
school-mistress ?" " Ah, brother!" she would reply, " who
will instruct these poor little ones if I do not?"1 Or
again, her old aunt Catharine grumbled, and unfeel-
ingly chased the children away. " They thought I
would give to the poor all I could lay hands on; but that
I would not dare to do, for fear of committing theft. I
was obliged to coax and pet my mother, to obtain from
her leave to give what I had. As she loved me dearly
she readily granted the permission." a
Margaret was not satisfied with loving and instructing
the poor little ones; she went to visit their families,
especially when any of the members were ill. Delicate
and sensitive, with a horror of everything unsightly,
trembling in presence of a wound, never can we fully
appreciate her efforts to overcome herself, or know what
heroic acts she performed in this ministry. She spoke
few words on the subject, but those few reveal prodigies
of courage; and even under the reserve of a recital im-
posed by obedience, we discover miraculous cures. " I
had extreme repugnance to look at wounds. I had to
begin by dressing and even kissing them, in order to
overcome myself. I was very ignorant as to how I
should proceed in this duty; but my Divine Master so
well supplied for my want of knowledge that, although
the wounds might be very serious, they healed in a
short time. I had, consequently, more confidence in H.s
goodness than in my own remedies." 3
In the midst of such occupations, her lively and ar
dent nature still inclined to pleasure. " I was naturally
given to the love of pleasure and amusement ; but I
could not indulge my inclinations, although I frequently
sought to do so. But the pitiful sight of the Lord, who
1 Process of 171 5, Chrysostom's Deposition.
9 Memoire, p. 302. 3 lb., p. 303.
62 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
presented Himself to me covered with the blood of His
flagellation, prevented my following oat my intention::
He reproached me in words that pierced me to the
heart: 'Dost thou sigh for pleasure? / never tasted
any. I gave Myself up to all sorts of bitterness for thy
love and to gain thy heart, — and thou dost still wish to
dispute it with Me!' " At such words, Margaret desisted.
Although for several days after she was filled with con-
fusion, she gradually resumed her search after vanities.
" One day," she says, " when I was lost in astonishment
that so many defects and infidelities were not sufficient
to repel my Lord, He made me this reply : * It is be-
cause I am desirous of making of thee a compound of
My love and mercy.' " '
" On another occasion He said to me : ' I have chosen
thee for My spouse, and thou didst promise fidelity
when thou didst make to Me the vow of chastity. It
was I who urged thee to make it before the world had
any share in thy heart, for I wished to possess it pure
and unsullied by any earthly affection.' "
Who would not believe that a heart like Margaret's,
so pure, indeed so angelic, endowed with such gen-
erosity, would not enthusiastically respond to these
tender and magnificent advances ? Nevertheless, even
at this moment she hesitated ; and never, perhaps, in
this terrible struggle of four years had she been more
strongly tempted to yield. It was because serious
events had changed the prospects of her family. Her
two eldest brothers died one after the other in the prime
of life. John, the oldest of all the children, he who on
reaching his majority had taken charge of the business
and restored to his cherished mother her position and
influence, was the first taken. He died in 1663, at the
age of three-and-twenty, leaving the entire charge of
his affairs to his brother Claude Philibert. Two years
after, September, 1665, the latter followed him to the
tomb, at the same fatal age of twenty-three. There re-
1 Memoire. o, 304,
Margaret enters the Visitation of Paray. 63
mained now only Margaret and her two brothers : Chry-
sostom, whom we have already met, and James, the
youngest of all, who was preparing for Holy Orders
Becoming thus sole proprietor of the estate of Lhautecoui
and head of the family, Chrysostom thought of marry-
ing. In 1667, at the early age of twenty-two, he married
Angelique Aumonier, of a good family of the Charolais.
It is thought that it was for this occasion the pictures
which decorate the house were painted. It is at least
singular that, at the period in which we see the tomb
of the two elder brothers opened and the wedding of
the third celebrated, we find among these allegorical
paintings two coffins surmounted by weeping cupids
with inverted torches, and opposite another represen-
tation of cupids lighting the hymeneal flame.
Chrysostom married, and Margaret's friends deter-
mined to make a last effort to induce her to do the
same. Her mother, with the remembrance of past suf-
ferings, did not care to remain in a house ruled by a
daughter-in-law. With tears she implored Margaret to
come to some decision, and to take her to live with her.
At the same time the youngest son, James, who was pre-
paring for Holy Orders, offered his sister half his patri-
mony as a dowry. Finally, Chrysostom, now head of
the family and Margaret's guardian, declared it time for
her to take a partner for life. The attack was so violent
that our saintly young girl was on the point of yielding.
" I could no longer withstand," she said, " the importu-
nities of my relatives, nor the tears of a mother who
loved me tenderly, and who represented to me that at
twenty a girl ought to take a husband. The devil,
too, did his part. He whispered to me continually:
1 Poor miserable creature, of what are you thinking in
wishing to become a religious? You will make yourself
a laughing-stock to the world, for you will never per-
severe. What a disgrace to take off the religious habit
and leave the convent ! Where will you turn to hide
64 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
yourself after that?' I began, then, to share my
mother's sentiments with regard to remaining in the
world, though my horror of marriage was so great that
I could not think of it without bursting into tears." l
Margaret was in this state of hesitancy when God
came to her assistance. "One day,',' she relates, "after
holy Communion, He made me see that He is the most
beautiful, the richest, most powerful, most perfect, and
accomplished of all lovers. Being promised to Him,
whence came it, He asked, that I desired to break with
Him ? ' Oh, remember,' said He, * if thou dost thus con-
temn Me, I shall abandon thee forever ; but if thou art
faithful to Me, I shall never leave thee. I will render
thee victorious over all thine enemies. I excuse thy
ignorance, because thou dost not yet know Me. But. if
thou art faithful to Me, I shall teach thee to know Me,
and shall manifest Myself to thee.' ' These words, in
which are combined authority, majesty, tenderness,
and the indignation that springs from love despised,
pierced Margaret's heart like an arrow. She shed
abundant tears, and felt new light dawn upon her soul.
She renewed her vow of chastity, resolved " rather to
die than violate it." On leaving the church, she an-
nounced her resolution to her family, imploring them
to dismiss every aspirant for her hand, however advan-
tageous the offer might be.2
Margaret's tone as she uttered these words conveyed
to her mother the conviction that her child meant what
she said; and so she no longer insisted upon her marry-
ing. " After this my mother shed no more tears in my
presence; but she wept before all with whom she spoke
on the subject. Those persons failed not to tell me that
if I left her I would be the cause of her death; that 1
should have to answer to God; and that I could become
a religious as well after her death as before it. One
brother, in particular, who loved me much, did all in
1 Mfemoire, p. 305. 'Ibid.
Margaret enters the Visitation of Par ay. 65
his power to dissuade me from my design, and offered
me his patrimony as a dowry. But to all such consider-
ations my heart had become as insensible as a rock."
Margaret had, however, to remain nearly three years
longer in the world. Her dowry was not forthcoming,
the family being yet undecided. They acted slowly and
sought pretexts for delay. Margaret waited patiently;
but sure now of herself and of God, she lived in celestial
peace.
Thinking the distractions of a pleasant city life would
change her desires, she was sent to Macon, where her
maternal uncle was royal notary. This uncle had a
daughter who was very pious. She was on the point
of entering the Ursuline convent of that city, and she
made every effort to take her cousin with her. The
uncle sided with his daughter, and was more insistent
in the affair than was commendable. But to their im-
portunity Margaret returned but one reply in which
shone the elevation and purely divine disinterestedness
of her vocation: " If I should enter your convent, it
would be for love of you. I wish to go to a house
where I shall have neither relatives nor acquaintances,
that I may become a religious actuated by no other
motive than the love of God." She was thus debating
with her uncle and cousin, and almost ready to yield,
for she could not explain to herself, and still less to
others, her apparently groundless repugnance to enter-
ing a Community pious and fervent, and into which
she would have been so joyously welcomed, when her
brother Chrysostom arrived unexpectedly to conduct
her home. Her mother was at the point of death. In
fact, her good and excellent mother was dying of grief.
They took advantage of her state, to force upon Mar-
garet the thought of the responsibility she would incur
by persisting in her project. " They made me under-
stand," she tells us, "that my mother could not live
without me, and that I should have to answer to God
66 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
for her death. This was told me even by ecclesiastics.
It caused me cruel sufferings, for I tenderly loved my
mother. The devil made use of this ruse to make me
believe that my mother's death would be the cause of
my eternal damnation." J
Tortured in heart and conscience, Margaret cast her-
self at the foot of her crucifix and watered it with her
tears. There she found peace. God came to her assist-
ance. He consoled her mother, enlightened her brother,
and gave her kinsfolk to understand that souls must
follow whither God calls.
The more Margaret thought of the religious life, the
more enraptured she became with it. It was there, she
thought, that she would learn to pray as she had never
yet known how; that she would obey and do penance
to the full extent of her desires. There, too, she would
communicate frequently; and this thought roused her
soul to rapturous transports. " My greatest joy was to
think I should communicate frequently; for the privi-
lege was now granted me but rarely. I should have
believed myself the happiest creature in the world, had
I been able frequently to pass the entire night before
the Blessed Sacrament. On the eve of my Commun-
ions, I felt my soul so abyssed in recollection that I
could speak but with the greatest effort; I was wholly
taken up with the sublimity of the action I was about
to perform. After my Communions, I desired neither
to eat nor drink, to see anyone, nor to speak, so great
were the peace and consolation I felt."2
Things were still in this state, when there arrived at
Verosvres, to preach the Jubilee proclaimed by Clement
X. after his elevation to the Sovereign Pontificate, 1670,
a religious of the Order of St. Francis. His name the
old Memoires do not tell. They inform us only that he
was a man of eminent piety. To this child, who was to
reveal to the world the pierced Heart of Jesus Christ,
1 MSmoire, p. 307. s lb. p. 308.
Margaret enters the Visitation of Par ay. by
God sent a disciple of him who on Mt. Alvernus had
received in his hands and feet and heart the sacred
stigmata of the wounds of Jesus Christ. " His charity
was such," says she, " that he stayed at our house over-
night to give us a chance to make our general confes-
sion." ' Margaret made hers with abundance of tears.
Her least faults appeared to her crimes. The holy re-
ligious, seeing her purity of soul, put her in the way ol
communicating every day, taught her to make prayer, —
an instruction she hardly needed, — and promised her
some instruments of penance; for, dreading vanity, she
had not dared to speak to him of the mortification she
already imposed upon herself. He did more. He went
at once to find Chrysostom, and roused in nim great
scruples for putting obstacles in the way of such a voca-
tion. Chrysostom loved his sister tenderly, but he
feared still more to offend God. That same day he had
a long conversation with Margaret, to find out whether
or not she was really persevering in her design. Hav-
ing received the energetic reply, " Yes, certainly, 1
would rather die than change my purpose," he at once
took the necessary steps for her departure from home.
Shortly after, in the spring of 167 1, Margaret, accom-
panied by her brother, set out for Paray-le-Monial, where
there was a convent of the Visitation, in which she had
resolved to conceal herself for life.
Why the Visitation? She did not know. Never had
she put her foot into a convent of this Order. She con-
sidered the Poor Clares of Charolles too near to Veros-
vres. As to the Ursulines of Macon, she was still in-
fluenced by the motives that dictated her answer to her
cousin: "If I should go into your Community, it would
be for love of you. I wish to go where I shall have
neither relations nor acquaintances, that I may become
a religious through no other motive than the love of
God." Once before when her brother insisted on her
1 M6moire, p. 309.
68 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
entering with the Ursulines, she replied: "No, that
will never be. I wish to go to the Holy Maries, to a
distant convent in which I have no acquaintances. I
wish to be a religious only for God. I wish to leave the
world entirely, to hide myself in some corner in which
I can forget and be forever forgotten." '
This is all Margaret knew of the reasons that in-
fluenced her vocation. The rest was God's secret.
Several Visitation convents were proposed to her,
Charolles, Macon, Autun, Dijon, and Paray. " As
soon," said she, "as I heard mention of Paray, my heart
bounded with joy, and I consented at once." She then
set out with her brother for the term of her happiness,
" dear Paray." On crossing the threshold, her soul was
flooded with celestial sweetness, and a voice interiorly
whispered: " Here it is that I wish thee to be." A short
time before, seeing at Macon a picture of St. Francis de
Sales, it seemed to her that the saint looked at her ten-
derly. It was something of the same kind that she now
experienced. Turning quickly toward her brother, she
said: " Be assured I shall never leave this house." Not
so judged the good people of Paray who saw her enter.
She was tastefully dressed, joy was beaming on her
countenance, and she was making lively gesticulations.
They smiled as they glanced at her, and said: "Look!
has she the appearance of a religious ?" " And indeed,"
she adds, " I then wore more vain ornaments than I had
ever before done, and I gave expression to the great
joy I felt at seeing myself all in all to my Sovereign
Good."3
Margaret returned once more to Verosvres, but only
to take a last farewell. It was heart-rending. Her
mother covered her with tears and caresses. Margaret
at first bore this last assault without even growing pale.
" Never did I feel my heart so joyous or so firm. I was,
as it were, insensible to the affection and the sorrow of
1 MGmoire, p. 310. s lb., p. 311.
Margaret enters the Visitation of Par ay. 69
which I was the object and the cause. Even my mother's
tears affected me not, and I shed not one myself on
leaving her." But as God wished that none of the
beauties of nature or of grace should be wanting to this
great sacrifice, Margaret had hardly left her mother,
when an immense wave of bitterness swept over her
soul. " It seemed to me," she said, " that my soul was
being torn from my body." When St. Teresa crossed
for the last time the threshold of her father's house, she
felt, to use her own expression, as if her bones were
being snapped and her life was slipping away from her.
Again, when St. Chantal tore herself from the embrace
of her old father and the caresses of her little ones, she
shed such torrents of tears that the lookers-on were
astonished and scandalized. Margaret Mary had the
same divine honor done her. On her way from Veros-
vres to Paray, she tasted the agony of agonies.
Why, we ask, did she choose the Visitation, when so
many other religious houses were open to her? Now
we know. Margaret Mary went not to the Visitation
like so many others, because this Institute, founded
recently by two admirable saints, still exhaled its first
perfume, a perfume so sweet to breathe in the cradle of
religious houses. She went there by reason of a higher
order. God, who has not raised a mountain, dug out a
valley, directed the course of a river, without knowing
for what people, for what souls He was laboring, in
fashioning the Visitation thought of Margaret Mary.
He made one for the other. He made the sweetness,
simplicity, humility, the hidden life of the Visitation
that Margaret Mary on the day of her entrance might
expand as in her element: and there for twenty years
He worked in the soul of our holy child. He made her
sweet, humble, simple, pure, so that she might one day
be the loveliest of Visitandine flowers, the sweetest of
Visitandine fruits. Or rather He made one for the
other — the grand Order for the humble virgin; the
TO Lt/4 tfSkmt Mmrg*rrt Mmry Al*cofu*.
former to be the theatre, the latter the evangelist, ihe
apostle of a groat miracle, of which m nor
the other could have the shadow of a < v>ag be-
fore, in the far-away ti de
Saks and St Chantal sublime presenter its
was to take place He had sown the living germs
in the foundation of the v > .. . a. He had g en to
r its arms and armorial bearings a hea ied
with thorns and surmounted by a cross. These pious
daughters, whom \ yea - :. ad formed in
solitude to be one day the guard of I
adorable Heart, the people, though without know g
why, began to call « Tkt D**gJkUr$ 0/ tkt J5few
But the humble virgin that was to cause those germs
to flourish, throw light upon those early presentiments,
and clothe with meaning that coat-of -arras, suspected
nothing of her mission. In all thesi -irs of her
life, though the Divi. ehad already spoken to her,
there was not one word of her extraordinary vocation;
not one glimmer of light on her future destiny; not a
reference to the wants of that Church to which, r. .
ever, she was sent as a liberating angel. She had ex-
perienced but one attraction, and that had overruled
0 :her. ** Hide thyself, fly men, forget creatures.
Seek a little corner, a solitude, a cloister, in which thou
mayest forget all and in which, forgotten by all, thou
mayest live for God alone" — such were the words
spoken by the Divine Voice.
Behold the dispositions with which Margaret entered
was clothed with the habit, and eighteen months later
she prostrated on the choir floor. The nuns covered
her with a pall, from beneath which she rose up radi-
ant; for between her and man there was raised an im
m ent of Par ay, J 1
CHAPTER IV.
THE CO*VE*T OF PAKAY.
mm.
•e Ofta OfC
A*fce, be ra%hfrari 0 flnnm; to v. 7 %*1 a MUM *r
- - -
of Lowe cnrrrfd the dear content of Para?* mtrtidmcmg dmon Hm
' — Amn/g Smimtr, vdL L ?, 746,
T.T-vyT: AT kind of convent was this toward which
VV' ' ■••■*.-. •--. -.*
the theatre of such marvels ? What seals was
she to meet therein ? What rht jcs and what traditions?
What the faith and fervor of their rehgpous life?*
This was the time in which the Visitation Order, for
Mother de Chantal, 1641, drew from the recent feasts of
the canonization of St. Francis de Sales fresh vitality,
and continued to cover the world with its pious soli-
tudes. Every year saw them opened to souls weary of
the world and thirsting for divine love. In 1642, Vtlle-
1 It is r To amy at the YmfMhmforeadkmtmtm'tytomm&omevcsj
mmee ytats a Grcmlor .Mrrtnd to tkewhote laaia—i laxhzs C*r£»-
lar 3. Ire. nSMtJ w'JZZ.'rr'r: *J mmmmWet ^ teMMPMM ii "--Jt
aod dies » g^ea a ffcetdi of the fives of die Shtrii dnt
dMe three yearn Heace we fee die ianuirt.wr of
It is die cosnplefe kjstory of a uwut, die ycof *«~
hare, coasenneady, awst carefattr cammed aE die Circular: of Paar
>.:-.-. < -.<; •,-. -.'-*. *-. --- • •- «- -.-. ac aw nan snenajaj III
these rituaajratf we <baar dns chanter, and ffcafl on to diem for ag&c
72 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
franche, Verceil in Italy, Montbrison, Agen, Avignon,
the second of Rouen; in 1643, Salins, Montelimart, Li-
moges; in 1644, Issoudun, Castellane, Vienne, and
Tulle; in 1645, Saint-Marcellin and Soleure; in 1646,
La Fleche, Avallon, and Dole; in 1647, Toulouse, Char-
tres, and Saumur; in 1648, Loudun, Bourbon-Lancy,
the second of Grenoble ; in 1649, Compiegne and Cler-
mont ; in 1650, Abbeville and Mons, in Hainaut ; in
1651, Chaillot, Seissel, Aurillac, and Larochefoucauld ;
in 1652, the second of Marseilles and the second of Aix ;
in 1653, Saint-Amour and Langres ; in 1654, Varsovie,
in Poland ; in 1657, Arone in Italy ; in 1659, Auxerre,
Alencon, and Brioude ; in 1660, Thiers and the third of
Paris ; in 1663, Bourg, Saint-And6ol, and Monaco ; in
1664, Nimes ; in 1666, Saint-Remo ; in 1667, Brussels
and Munich ; in 1669, Modena and the second of Nice ;
finally, in 1671, Rome. An inexhaustible current of life
flowed from the tomb that had just closed over St.
Chantal. And although her first daughters, they who
had listened to her energetic words, had gone to rejoin
her in the sojourn of light after which they had so ar-
dently sighed, they left behind souls whom they them-
selves had formed, inheritors of their virtues, some of
whom had even caught a glimpse of the venerable coun-
tenance of their holy foundress.
Among all these pious solitudes, that of Paray, in
Burgundy, was recommendable for its antiquity and
fervor.
The little town of Paray is situated in a charming
valley, encircled with mountains and crossed by fresh
running water. The most beautiful vines in the world
lend it their shade, and it rests at the foot of an old
basilica built by St. Hugh, in the twelfth century, to
test the plan to be used for the colossal church of Cluny.
Born of the breath of the monks, and for that reason
called Paray-le-Monial; reared under the paternal gov-
ernment of the abbots, of whom, in Burgundy as well as
The Convent of Par ay. 73
on the borders of the Rhine, they say, " One lives at
ease under the crosier," it has preserved even to our
own day a purity of morals, a nobleness and distinction
of manners, a loyalty of friendship, and a fervor of pi-
ety, that the misfortunes of the times could not dimin-
ish. Protestantism, it is true, appeared there for a mo-
ment ; but it was, as in other parts of Burgundy, only a
surprise visit, from which it quickly recovered, and soon
regained its former fruitfulness. To repair the breaches
made by its inroads, Paray made haste to build a con-
vent in which the Ursulines might rear her children ; a
hospital for the care of her sick ; a house for the Jesuit
Fathers to teach again Jesus Christ ; and, finally, a con-
vent of the Visitation to embalm all around with the
perfume of piety. Some years later, the little town,
whose population did not then exceed four or five thou-
sand, witnessed one of those outbursts of faith and
charity that would have done honor to the largest me-
tropolis ; namely, the rejoicings occasioned by the ar-
rival of the Sisters of the Visitation, September 4, 1626.
In 1642, their convent was entirely rebuilt in a beauti-
ful plain to the east and, as it were, pillowed on the
back of the old basilica. It may still be seen in all
its primitive simplicity, for it has not changed. Four
large buildings form a square, which incloses a court.
A cloister extends around them, its vast colonnade open-
ing on a court, in whose centre plays the traditional and
symbolical fountain. On the walls of irreproachable
whiteness, and in the arch formed by the rising roof,
may still be read sentences which St. Francis de Sales
recommended to be written everywhere, that no eye
might be raised without meeting a thought for the mind
and food for the soul. The community-room, chapel,
sacristy, and refectory open on the cloister, from the four
corners of which lead stairs to the cells on the story
above. That of Margaret Mary is still in existence,
though now converted into a chapel. But we have seen
74 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
it in its primitive state, narrow, chalk-white, with no
other furniture than a bed, a table, and a chair; no other
ornament than a wooden crucifix, and a paper picture
of the Sacred Heart. All the other cells are like it,
simple, poor, neat. The large gardens dotted with
statues and chapels surround the whole convent with
verdure, silence, and peace. The sojourn of the saint
here undoubtedly exhaled around it a perfume that
otherwise it would not have had ; and has made it, as it
were, a reliquary filled with precious mementos of the
Lord. One cannot take a step without inhaling peace,
fervor, forgetfulness of creatures, and the presence of
God.
On Margaret's arrival, in 167 1, the convent was gov-
erned by the venerable Mother Hieronyme Hersant,
just then finishing her sixth year of superiority. She
belonged to the Visitation of Paris, rue Saint-Antoine,
where she had for mistress of novices the great and holy
Mother Lhuillier. Whilst young, she had been able to
open her heart and soul to the venerable Mother de
Chantal, and for twenty years she had for director St.
Vincent de Paul.J In such a school she had become a
saint, and had, moreover, learned that science of gov-
ernment and that art of directing minds which, joined
to the most solid virtue, had already secured to Paray
five years of fervor and progress in the spiritual life.
True, she was at the time, having almost finished her
six years of superiority, 1666-1672, about to leave the
Sisters of Paray and return to Paris. But from her
hands the government was to pass into those of Mother
de Saumaise, a soul neither less tender nor less strong,
who was to come from Dijon. After having governed
that convent for six years, 1672-1678, she was to give
place to Mother Greyfie from Annecy, 1678-1684. In
this Visitation of Paray, where we are to see virtue so
sublime, vocations so extraordinary, love of Rule so
1 Annee Sainte, vol. i. p. 745.
The Convent of Par ay. 75
great, courage so masculine, humility overruled the
other virtues to such a degree that it would not allow
the religious to feel that they were able to govern them-
selves. Their fervor impelled them to seek at Annecy?
Paris, and Dijon, Superiors the most capable of keep-
ing them united and of advancing them in the true
spirit of the Visitation. Rising higher, let us say, God,
who was bringing to this cloister so rare a marvel, and
through her perfecting the Visitation, completing the
work of St. Francis de Sales and St. Chantal, wished to
call there to direct Margaret Mary the most eminent
Superioresses from the three convents in which were
still existing the oldest traditions and remembrances of
the holy founders.
The mistress of novices into whose hands Margaret
was to be placed on her arrival was a venerable relig
ious who had passed four-and-forty years of conventual
life, and whose vocation dated back even to the foun-
dation of the Visitation of Paray. Her father, M. de
Thouvant, was one of the two founders of the convent,
and she was the first of the young girls of Paray to take
the veil. Contemporrry with the eight religious whom
Mother de Blonay had sent from Lyons to make the
foundation, — and " who were so extraordinarily favored
by God; whose obedience was proof against all diffi-
culties; whose gift of prayer was sublime; and, finally,
whose perfume of virtue was so powerful that the people
clipped their clothing to obtain some shreds as relics," '
— Sister de Thouvant had not yet finished her novitiate
when St. de Chantal arrived at the convent. The saint
looked at the novice, who was only sixteen years old,
and, knowing by prophetic light what she would one
day be, laid her hand on her head with a blessing. She
earnestly recommended that they would take great care
of her and moderate her fervor, " and, in particular,
1 Unedited Foundations of the Convent of Paray (MSS. in 4to,
belonging to the Visitation of Parav), p. 308.
76 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
allow her to make only half an hour's prayer until she
was eighteen, for fear too great application might
weaken her health; adding that she foresaw that her
virtues and good judgment would render her eminently
serviceable to the Community." '
The saint's prophecy was fully realized. After hav-
ing governed the convent of Paray twelve years as Su-
perioress, 1645-1651 and 1657-1663; after having, as
mistress of novices, formed the greater part of the Com-
munity; endowed with the gift of sublime prayer, tender
devotion to the Lord, and a deep knowledge of souls,
she was going to finish her successful career by forming
Margaret Mary to the religious life.
Under the administration of the venerable Mother
Hieronyme Hersant, and the enlightened direction of
the pious Sister de Thouvant, the convent of Paray re-
cruited rapidly. A crowd of young girls, overcoming
the most painful opposition, were seen hastening to bury
themselves in the cloister, at the cost of the greatest
sacrifices. They belonged to the best families of Bur-
gundy: Catherine-Antoinette de Levis-Chateaumorand
for example, who had been detained in the world by the
tenderness of her mother. After. the death of the latter,
she scattered so generously the treasures of her large
fortune on her native province, that when the people
learned her design of entering religion there was a
general outcry. It was resolved to oppose her depart-
ure, and even to arrest her en route y2 — Marie-Hyacinthe
Courtin, as " remarkable for beauty as for virtue, and
who was followed by her suitors even into our par-
lors;"3— Marie-Therese Basset, belonging to one of the
1 Unedited Foundations of Paray, p. 310.
2 Abridgment of the life and virtues of our dear Sister de Levis-
Chateaumorand (without date).
3 Circular of Paray, March 23, 1725. Abridgment of the virtues of
twelve of our dear Sisters who died in the convent of Paray from Sep-
tember 9, 1 719.
The Convent of Par ay. fj
richest families of Roanne, who saw two aspirants to
her hand decide their claim by a duel, in which the loved
one was slain by his jealous rival. Wounded to the
heart by this blow, she sought forgetfulness and con-
solation in the love of Him who cannot be taken away; '
— Madeleine de Vichy-Chamron, of the two illustrious
houses of Chamron and d'Amanze, who entered the
Visitation only after having refused the abbatial crosier
offered her by Mgr. de Villars, Archbishop of Vienne;2
— Seraphique de la Martiniere, who, forced to remain in
the world by the devotedness of her parents, fell so ill
that she soon resembled a skeleton. Allowed at last to
fulfil her desire, " the ardor of her fever yielded to that
of divine love, which conducted her to the celestial
Spouse."3 We are about to see group around Margaret
Mary so many who, had they deigned to give it their
heart, might have hoped everything from the world; in
fine, the ladies Damas, Coligny, d'Amanze, Varenne de
Gletin, d'Athose, des Escures, who might at least, since
they desired to be religious, have borne the crosier of
an abbess, or worn the pectoral cross of a canoness,
but who relinquished all, attracted by the humility,
poverty, and fervor of the humble retreat that St.
Francis de Sales and St. Chantal had just opened " to
the great of heart and the weak of health." There were
seen even high-born ladies who thought it not sufficient
if, in becoming religious, they did not descend to the
rank of domestic Sisters : Frances-Angelique de la
Mettrie, for example, or Claude-Francoise Chappui.
granddaughter of M. de Marselison, of a very rich
family of Charolais. "All the importunity of her rela-
1 Circular of December 17, 171 7. Abridgment of the virtues of our
most honored Sister Marie-Therese Basset.
s Circular of February 20, 1738. Abridgment of the life and vir
tues of our very honored Sister Madeleine- Victoire de Vichy de
Chamron.
3 Circular ot March 23, 1725. Abridgment of the twelve, eto
yS Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
tives could not dissuade the latter from taking at Paray
the white veil of the domestic Sisters, nor constrain her
at the close of her life to become a choir Sister. She de-
clared that her wish was to die in the white veil." l
Just because these young girls belonged to great
families, and possessed a great heart, the trials of the
novitiate were excessively severe. Fifty years later
their remembrance made them tremble. " As they were
not sparing of trials then," says the Sister who relates
the entrance into religion of Rosalie Verchere, " she
displayed all the generosity of her soul." " Her great
piety caused her to be joyfully received to the novitiate,"
is written of Francoise-Marguerite d'Athose. " She en-
dured the trials, which at that time were very great,
with a fervor that merited for her the reception of our
holy habit."2 "Her intrepid courage," it is said of
Marie-Catherine du Chailloux, " consumed, so to say,
the rigor of those early days, and she plunged with all the
ardor of holy love into the ocean of severe trials then in
force." 3 " One can say of Catherine Heuillard that she
carried to the grave the fervor of her novitiate, having
never had any other reproaches addressed her than
that she did too much and labored above her strength." *
Like words one meets on every page of the manuscripts
that record the foundation of the Visitation at Paray.
How could this character of austerity, of holy and
generous abandonment to the rigor of holy love, fail the
novitiate, since the professed Sisters, one and all, were
possessed of it? We have already seen something of it;
but it would be necessary to relate the life of each
member, in particular, to give a true picture of this fer-
vent and generous Community. Marie-Suzanne Pie-
denuz was a prodigy of austerity. " Wholly penetrated
1 Circular of April 18, 171 3.
1 Circular of March 23, 1725.
3 Circular of October 1, 1743.
4 Circular of December 17, 171 7.
The Convent of Par ay. 79
with the majesty and sanctity of God, she would have
wished to abyss herself in His presence even to the
centre of the earth. She appeared before Him as a
criminal crushed under the weight of His justice. Her
bloody disciplines diminished nothing of the ardor of
her love. Loving her Divine Saviour with all the
powers of her soul, yet feeling that she could not love
Him as much as she desired, she looked upon herself as
a reprobate, and this painful state lasted till her death." '
Catherine-Augustine Marest had yet a stronger attrac-
don for penance. " This admirable daughter, although
not to be imitated in her mortifications, drank wine
rarely, hardly ever approached the fire, the ardor of
divine love serving her at all seasons. She was clothed
in winter as in summer, not thinking herself worthy
even to wear that which could no longer be used by
others." a " God had prevented Marie-Hyacinthe Cour-
tin with His holy fear and so lively a horror of sin that,
though shunning even its shadow, she dreaded to ap-
proach the sacraments. Endless time was necessary
for her to prepare for confession, in which, however, she
failed not to be short and clear, in spite of the great
scruples by which she was devoured on the score of the
Office. This, joined to her great abstinence and morti-
fication, reduced her to a slow decline." 3 Marie-Char-
lotte Benoit was still more penitential. "Her strong
and generous soul made her aim at perfection in the
most vigorous manner. She did nothing by halves.
She sacrificed herself and carried her severity so far
that her conduct on this point is more admirable than
imitable. She treated her body so harshly during her
lifetime that, like St. Bernard, fearful of having short-
ened her days, she was constrained at the hour of death
to ask its pardon. This state of continual death makes
1 Circular of March 15, 1703.
2 Circular of April 18, 171 3.
8 Circular of March 23, 1725.
8o Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
us regard her as another St. Jerome." ' They compared
Rosalie de Farges to another Elias, whose ardor and
penance she possessed. We shall see her pass her entire
life on Calvary in the mi dst of austerities that make one
tremble.2
To this austerity, this mortification, which left their
traces on the countenance of the Sisters of Paray, was
joined a love for Rule carried, perhaps, to so high a de-
gree in no other convent. Sister Jeanne- Aimee lay at the
point of death. The Superioress found her absorbed in
God, her hands clasping the book of Constitutions. To
the questions addressed to her, she answered: "Ah!
Mother, the Lord has made known to me that I can
enter heaven only by these three doors: the observance
of our holy Rules, the love of our neighbor, and humil-
ity."3 " Marie Joseph Bouthier, dying at the age of
twenty-one, and pained at leaving life so young, ex-
claimed: 'Alas! I have only begun to live, and behold,
I must die.' To reconcile herself to the sacrifice, she
kissed the book of Constitutions and found therein
strength to submit to the holy will of God." 4 Marie-
Hyacinthe Courtin always had her Rules in her hand.
By them she regulated all her actions, not wishing " to
do anything more or less," which words she had taken
as her device.5 The zeal with which Sister Catherine-
Augustine Marest was animated, not to say inflamed, for
the holy Rule, would not suffer a failure in the least
point of it; Dut God made her understand, at last, that
it would be more meritorious to moderate her rigor.
"Attached to her Rule alone, she understood nothing
of the mysteries of direction, as she herself said smiling.
Her Rule, her Superioress, her ordinary confessor, suf-
1 Circular of December 17, 171 7.
2 Circular of May 14, 1743.
3 Circular of December 17, 1717.
4 Circular of March 23, 1725.
6 Circular of December 17, 1717.
The Convent of Par ay. 81
ficed for her." 1 They said as much of Sister Seraphique
de la Martiniere, whose chief attraction was love of the
hidden life and exact observance of Rule. " All that was
high and sublime was suspected by her." 3 And in an-
other place we read of Sister de Damas de Barnay: " What
was singular and admirable was not for her."
Let us carefully note all these traits: that exact ob^
servance of Rule; that care of regulating their actions
by the motto, " Neither more nor less;" that fear of
everything high and sublime, everything singular and
admirable, that sweet smile when speaking of those
mysteries of direction, etc. In them we touch upon
one of the most striking characteristics of the convent
of Paray, the true cause of the passing opposition that
Margaret was going to meet there, and which has been
till now so little understood and so unfairly estimated.
Let us add that these ardent souls, so generous, so
strongly attached to their Rules, were incredibly humble
and obedient. " Sister Anne-Alexis was like a ball of
wax in the hands of God and of those that held to her
His place. It was this that made them put her into all
the offices high and low, by which she was neither
elated nor cast down, but always frank and cordial, and
of exemplary regularity." 3 When they informed Sister
de Vichy-Chamron, who had broken her abbatial crosier
to enter the Visitation, that they thought of making her
directress, tears filled her eyes, she trembled and
swooned.4 It was the same with Mother de Levis-
Chateaumorand when there was question of making her
Superioress. Obliged to submit, she left at her death a
written request that, contrary to custom, they would
write nothing about her, but leave her memory in
eternal oblivion.5 The Sisters did not obey this order.
1 Circular of December 17, 171 7. 9 Ibid.
3 Abridgment of the Life and Virtues of Sister Anne-Alexis de
Mar6schalle (a small quarto of 10 pages).
4 Circular of February 20, 1738. 6 Abridgment of Life.
82 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Would to God they had not obeyed a similar recom-
mendation left by Sister Marie-Madeleine des Escures,
cLt first Margaret's most intimate friend, whose affection,
a little too lively, was in those first days the trial of her
novitiate; later, her most zealous adversary, because,
though fervent, but less enlightened than our saint, it
seemed to her that the latter strayed from the Rule
and the spirit of the Visitation, above which she herself
prized nothing; and finally, when she saw her error,
the most humble, most zealous of the adorers of the
Sacred Heart and of the disciples of Margaret Mary.
It is also to be regretted that the Sisters conformed so
exactly to the written requests left by Sisters Angelique
de Damas de Barnay, Jeanne-Francoise Chalon, de
Coligny, and a number of others. Their love having
led them to quit all and bury themselves in the cloister,
it now led them to desire to be forgotten even by tr. 2
cloister.
It is needless to say that love for God crowned these
numerous virtues and inflamed all souls. It was love a
little timid, we must admit, though strong and austere
after the fashion of the seventeenth century, in which
generosity was unlimited, but in which tenderness
should have predominated. The great devotion of
Marie-Anne Cordier was to the immensity of God, and
she incessantly buried herself in this abyss as a nothing
that He is about to destroy.1 That of Seraphique de la
Martiniere was for the infinite majesty of God. This
idea she had constantly before her eyes; therefore she
always worked on her knees.2 Marie-Emerentianne
Rosselin was almost always buried in the contemplation
of God's justice, which thought tinged her life with
fear.3 It was the same with Marie-Catherine du Chail-
loux, whose days were passed in terror of His judg-
1 Circular of April 18,1713.
8 Circular of March 23, 1725.
8 Ibid.
The Convent of Par ay. 83
ments. All that she heard in sermons, all that she
read on the end of man, predestination, or fidelity to
grace, impressed her so forcibly that she was ready to
die of fright. We would be unable to rehearse all the
penances she performed to obtain the peace of the
children of God, which she at last possessed after hav-
ing purchased it so dearly." ]
But these grand views, which have so deteriorated in
our days, and which then filled souls with so lively
respect for God, do not hinder love. Sister Seraphique
de la Martiniere, who, as we have said, always labored
on her knees, appeared inflamed with that fire of divine
love which Jesus Christ came to enkindle upon earth.
The assaults of divine love often reduced her to death,
and she complained tenderly to her God, saying: " I
can bear no more! Have regard to my weakness,
O Lord, or I shall expire under the violence of Thy
love!"2 That other Sister, Marie-Anne Cordier, who
always felt herself annihilated before the immensity of
God, had at the same time for Him a love so lively, so,
strong, so ardent, that, according to her own expression,
she would die of sorrow at not being able to die of love.3
"O Mother!" said Sister Emerentianne Rosselin, "I
long passionately to die in order to see my God;" and
her eyes, whilst saying these words, shone with so vivid
a light that in them could be read the truth of what
she affirmed.4 Sister Marie-Suzanne Piedenuz made
every day one hundred acts of the love of God;5 and
eyes filled with tears on beholding Sister Catherine
S6raphique Bouillet, a venerable old Sister, on her
knees, her hands joined, asking the little novices what
1 Circular of October i, 1743.
2 Circular of March 23, 1 725.
3 Ibid.
* Ibid.
5 Ann6e Sainte, vol. v. p. 353.
84 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
she must do to love God. " For I languish with love
of Him," said she, "and I cannot be satisfied." '
The two great devotions of the convent were, as we
see, the Cross and the Holy Eucharist — the tomb of
sacrifice and the tomb of Love Eternal. The religious
went to the first to entertain and there excite that
thirst for immolation, for penance, for austerity and
humiliation, which devoured them. There is not one of
those lives in which we do not discover that the second
source of their piety was the Lord in the Holy Sacra-
ment. According to the old Memoires: " They ran
thither as if famished."
We begin now to discover the true features of Paray.
In founding his grand work of the Visitation, the
saintly Bishop of Geneva had, we remember, two lofty,
prevailing ideas. They were tutelary angels far in
advance of their time, and which for that reason met a
thousand difficulties that stranded the one and kept the
other in constant jeopardy. The first idea of St. Fran-
cis de Sales was to found religious for the service of
the poor. The world cried out against it, and con-
strained the holy prelate to erect the grates of the
cloister. Baffled in this, the saint thought of that
multitude of souls who, from want of robust health,
could not enter Carmel or the Poor Clares, and drew
up a kind of life in which recollection, sweetness, the
spirit of mortification, and amiable charity were to
supply for corporal austerities, which the want alluded
to rendered impossible. But here that vast tide of com-
punction which swept through the seventeenth century
began to swell and carry on its breast crowds to the
Visitation. Paray was of this number. Behold those
cloister-grates, more austere than St. Francis de Sales
demanded ; those frequent disciplines, those continual
fasts! See that multitude of Sisters forced to ask
pardon of their body for having treated it so badly!
1 Circular of May 4, 1704.
The Convent of Par ay. 85
See them trembling before God with holy fear, over-
powered by the feeling of His immensity, His awful
greatness! In a word, look at that love, generous but
not sufficiently tender, and you have a picture of Paray
in 167 1. It was more austere than St. Francis de Sales
wished, but it was not less fervent than he could have
possibly desired.
Were the generous-souled inmates of this convent
sad ? Listen to a remark repeated a thousand times
and with perfect truth: "The more severe the Rule, the
gayer the religious." In the lives of the Sisters who
then composed the Community of Paray, one reads with
surprise words most pleasing. There is hardly one of
those religious of whom they do not say that she was
a good friend;1 one of the best friends that could be
found;2 a soul sincere and frank in her friendship;3 a
royal heart;4 a noble and liberal heart;5 a heart the most
sensible to affection and most grateful for the least
service.6 Their records sing on every note of the scale
of the amiability, gayety, sweetness, eagerness to give
pleasure, lively and spiritual repartee, beautiful talents of
all kinds.7 Marie-Therese Basset, daughter of the mayor
of Roanne, understood business so well as to surprise
the lawyers of her day. " She has been most useful to
us," say the Memoires, "in the care of our papers; and
her distinct and beautiful penmanship has been of
marvellous assistance. On entering the cloister she
brought with her a library so well furnished that it was
for us a valuable present.8 Sister Marie-Catherine du
1 Circular of March 23, 1725.
2 Ibid.
3 Circular of November 1, 1715.
4 Circular of March 8, 1701.
' Circular of December 17, 171 7.
6 Circular of July 7, 1743.
* See the above-mentioned Circulars, along with others already
quoted or from which we are going to quote.
* Circular of December 17, 171 7: see her detailed Life.
86 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Chailloux wielded a not less able pen. It was she who
wrote the Annales of the convent of Paray, " a work
that immortalized her among us."1 Sister Anne-Alexis
de Mareschalle wrote charming verses. " She possessed a
joyousness of heart that was reflected in her countenance
and entered into her conversation, always gay and holily
jo37ous. She also wrote very beautiful couplets to
animate herself to fervor ever new."2 Sister Marie-
Suzanne Piedenuz did better still, for she composed a
great number of poems and canticles. She transposed
into verse the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin, consisting
of one hundred and fifty Psalms, composed by St.
Bonaventure.3 Madeleine-Victoire de Vichy-Chamron
also cultivated poetry. The time passed in her cell was
so agreeable that, far from being wearisome, she always
found it too short. She composed spiritual canticles
full of energy and fervor. Some of the poems then
written in the convent of Paray have been preserved.
They are not inferior to those cited by M. Cousin com-
posed at the same epoch by Mile, de Bourbon, Mile, de
Rambouillet, Mile, de Bouteville and Mile, de Brienne at
the chateau of Chantilly.4 Margaret Mary is about to
join this choir of voices sweet and pure, and our dear
little country-girl will warble melodiously as they.
" A chased and panting fawn,
I seek the flowing stream.
The hunter's flying dart
Has pierced my inmost heart."
Let us now bring an artiste to the front. Marie-
Anne Cordier covered the convent with her pictures.
Seizing the brush herself, she painted the chapel of the
Blessed Virgin, the ceiling azure sown with golden
stars, which produced a lovely effect. Again, she in-
1 Circular of July 7, 1743.
8 Circular of March 9, 1733.
3 Annee Sainte, vol. i. p. 353.
4 Cousin, La Jeunesse de Mme. de Longueville, p. 217
The Convent of Par ay. 87
spired painters and sculptors with her own ideas, with
which workmen even the most expert were charmed.
She had the altar-piece made, she herself furnishing the
idea to a very skilful sculptor. She had made, also,
some figures in copper representing the mysteries of
the Passion. They were placed in a corridor leading
to the infirmary, at the end of which was a Calvary.
She had, in fine, painted all around the Blessed Virgin's
chapel the mysteries of her life.1 The chapel of the
Sacred Heart, however, she had not the happiness of
thus embellishing. Whether she was suffering at the
time or other reasons intervened we do not know, but
that honor was reserved for Marie-Nicole de la Faige
des Claines. Born of a great family, the recipient of a
brilliant education, she had, perhaps, a more exquisite
talent. She, also, it was who painted the first picture
representing the Sacred Heart surrounded by angels.'
Another Sister, Frangoise-Eleonore de Vichy-Chamron,
succeeded so well in small crayons " that some of her
work, after exciting the admiration of Mgr. Cardinal de
Bouillon, was sent by him not only to his noble rela-
tives in Paris, but one also to the Holy Father, Pope
Clement XI. His Eminence assures us that it was hon-
ored with a place in the breviary of His Holiness, who
praised its delicacy very much." s
Whilst some of the nuns charmed thus the leisure
hours of their cloistered life, warming their heart by
devout poetic effusions and beautiful paintings, others
plied the needle. Through a spirit of devotion for the
ornamentation of the holy altar; or through a peniten-
tial spirit of labor; or again, after the pestilence, through
the necessity of supplying their own wants, they busied
themselves in similar occupations, in all which, how-
ever, they showed themselves most expert, and per-
1 Circular of April 18, 171 3.
3 Ann6e Sainte, vol. ix. p. 727.
3 Vie et (Euvres, vol. i. p. 482.
88 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
formed wonders. Francoise-Marguerite d'Athose, we
are told, " was one of the most skilful in weaving laces
of gold and silver, which we made at that time for a
merchant of Lyons." ' When Sister Madeleine de
Vichy-Chamron took the veil, she was attired in a
magnificent dress of cherry-colored moire with under-
skirt of silver moire, which she afterward devoted to
the altar. With the assistance of her dear Sisters, she
embroidered it beautifully in gold and silver. Their
skilful fingers succeeded so well that their work was
long used as our most beautiful ornaments.8 Sister
de Vichy-Chamron had as friend and rival in this sort
of work Catherine-Augustine Marest, who employed
her time and extraordinary talent in making laces of
point a la reine to trim albs and surplices. She was also
remarkably skilful in making gold and silver laces to be
sold in Lyons, and the result of her labor was so suc-
cessful as to furnish the necessary funds to erect in the
church the chapel of St. Francis de Sales.3 They praise
the exquisite tapestry of Sister Marie-Catherine du
Chailloux, wrought in her early religious days; for
later, through humility, she asked and obtained per-
mission to make a vow to employ her time in shoe-
making. With the same hand that had arranged the
Annales of the convent, she for forty years made the
shoes of its inmates.4 It was the same sentiment of
humility that induced Madeleine de Vichy-Chamron to
abandon her embroidery in gold and silver for the cloth-
factory that the Sisters of Paray had established in their
house to defray the expenses of their convent, desolated
by the pestilence. She passed many years there making
V
1 Circular of March 23, 1725.
2 Circular of January 20, 1738. Those beautiful ornaments have not
perished. Splendidly restored, they were used at the feast of the
Beatification.
3 Circular of December 17, 1717*
4 Circular of July 7, 1743*
The Convent of Par ay. 8$
cinctures with a little loom or frame, and spinning the
woof of the stuff with which the frames were covered.
When Mme. de Maulvrier expressed astonishment at
seeing a girl of her birth in so low an employment, she
received the beautiful reply that, low as it was, it was
far too honorable for her.1 She had in this work as
teacher and mistress Sister Anne-Alexis de Mareschalle,
who had been the first to learn the art from a cloth-
weaver and his wife, very poor, plain people, " under
whom she suffered much in acquiring her knowledge of
spinning and weaving." But nothing could daunt her.
She had the establishment of this cloth-factory at heart,
and she afterward devoted seventeen years to it.2
Another brave soul devoted to this humble and labo-
rious work was Catherine-Augustine Marest, a skilled
point-lace maker. She remained long years in the fac-
tory, turning her great wheel with recollection that
edified the beholders, and strength that no fatigue
nould overcome, looking upon herself the while as the
dolt of the house. Thus did Mother Greyfie smilingly
call her. Not that Sister Catherine was wanting in
spirit. She possessed the gift of repartee, the most
lively and the most spiritual, along with judgment the
very best. It was in allusion to the labors with which
she overburdened herself that she received the charac-
teristic epithet.3
To possess a picture true and complete of the convent
of Paray, we must add that from the first days was
established in it a boarding-school to which the great
families of the Charolais, of the Maconnais, of the
Autunesse hastened to send their daughters, too happy
at being able to confide them to women like Mother de
Levis-Chateaumorand, Sister Marie-Catherine du Chail-
loux, Sister de Vichy-Chamron, Sister d'Athose, Sister
1 Circular of February 20, 1738.
2 Circular of March 23, 1725.
3 Ibid.
90 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
de Damas, Sister de Coligny, and so many others, so
pious, so distinguished in gifts of mind and heart, who
in abandoning the world had not parted with their
charms nor dispossessed themselves of their talents.
We shall mention only one of these little boarders,
Marie-Madeleine de Chaugy, whom St. Chantal found
there on her last visit,, whom she took with her to
Annecy, and whom later on we know as so great a
religious and so brilliant a writer.
Such was the convent of Paray. It was one of the
most fervent of the Grder, one of the most generous.
They called it " dear Paray," and " the Tabor of Supe-
rioresses," on account of the sweet union and perfect
obedience of the Sisters. God visibly blessed this
house, though none knew as yet His mysterious de-
signs upon it. Finally, when all was ready, May 25,
1671, the doors of the sanctuary opened, and the King
of Love entered " dear Paray" to introduce therein His
well-beloved.1
Margaret was then twenty-three years old; and,
although no correct likeness has been left us of her, we
may picture her to ourselves from what we know of her
appearance by hearsay. She was tall, a little above the
ordinary height, and her constitution delicate. Her
expressive face was lighted up by soft, clear eyes, and
her manners were gay and graceful,2 her whole air
agreeable and vivacious.3 Add to this great intelli-
gence, a judgment solid, keen, and penetrating, a noble
soul and a great heart,4 and we have the portrait of
Margaret Mary on her entrance at Paray. Her features
1 Abridgment of the life and virtues of our very virtuous Mothei
Margaret-Hieronyme Hersant, Superioress of the convent of Paray.
(Ann6e Sainte, vol. i. p. 742.)
s Visit made at the parlor to Margaret Mary by P6re Leau, S.J.
(Vie de la Bienheureuse, by Pere Daniel, p. 352.)
3 Deposition of Mother Greyfie.
4 Vie de la Bienheureuse, par P. Croiset.
The Convent of Par ay. 91
bore the impress of the most lively piety, but she had
not yet " that incomparable recollection,1 that meek
and humble exterior,2 that; air of lowliness even to the
centre of her nothingness"3 by which later on she was
distinguished. The Sisters extended to her that tender
and maternal welcome that all young girls, after tearing
themselves from the embraces of their families, received
upon their arrival at the convent. They surrounded
her with kindness and affection; but none suspected
the treasure with which God had just enriched their
humble convent.
1 Deposition of Sister Anne-Alexis de Mareschalle.
2 Visit made to the parlor by the Rev. Fathers Villette and Croiset.
3 Circular of March 23, 1725.
92 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
CHAPTER V.
MARGARET MARY'S NOVITIATE— GOD PREPARES HER
FOR THE GREAT MISSION ABOUT TO BE ENTRUSTED
TO HER— HER PROFESSION.
May 25, 1671-November 6, 1672.
"Ecce venio ad te quern amavi, quem quaesivi, quem semper
optavi."
" Behold, I come to thee whom I have loved, whom I have sought,
whom I have always desired." — Rom. Brev.y Ant. of St. Agnes.
HE first word addressed to Margaret by the ven-
erable Mother Thouvant, the day after the entrance
of the former at Paray, will ever remain celebrated.
Margaret, inflamed with the desire of giving herself en-
tirely to God, went to ask her mistress by what means
she should do so, imploring her especially to teach her
the secret of making prayer. Mother Thouvant replied:
" Go place yourself before God like canvas before a
painter" — words brief but full, in which Margaret dis-
covered the whole secret of prayer.1 To kneel at the
Lord's feet, to contemplate Him, to allow His holy
image to be impressed upon us; and for that end to
present Him a soul simple, recollected, pure like those
beautiful silver plates on which, thanks to the discov-
eries of modern science, only the perfect image can be
1 The expression une toile d'attente, which may be translated " pre-
pared canvas," was current in the convent of Paray as one of its most
ancient traditions. In 1628 one of its religious foundresses fell ill.
During her fearful torments she was heard to cry out: " O sweet
hand of my Spouse, sketch ! sketch !" The Superioress asked her
what she meant by those words. " Ah, Mother," she answered, "I
mean I am before God as canvas under the hand of a painter. I am
supplicating Him to delineate in me the perfect image of my crucified
Jesus." (Ann6e Sainte, vol. x. p. 313.)
Her Novitiate and her Profession. 93
depicted, — behold the true method of prayer. Mar-
garet went to prostrate herself at the Lord's feet, and to
fulfil the word of her instructress. " As soon as I knelt
before Him," she said, " my Sovereign Master made
known to me that my soul was the canvas on which He
desired to paint the features of His suffering life; of
that life which He passed until its consummation in
love, silence, and sacrifice. But perfectly to produce
these features, He had first to purify it from every stain,
from every affection to earthly things, from love of self
and of creatures, to whom I was still greatly inclined." l
From this moment Margaret felt enkindled within
her so ardent a desire for suffering that rest was no
longer hers. One thought possessed her soul, and that
was how should she crucify herself for a God who had
allowed Himself to be crucified for love of her. To no
purpose had she guarded inviolably the white robe of
baptism; to no purpose had she at the age of three
made a vow of virginity, and renewed it at six; to no
purpose at twenty-three had she placed between her-
self and the world the impenetrable cloister-grate: all
this was too little for the flame now kindled within her.
Her life, though so pure, filled her with horror. She
burned to wash in her tears and bathe in her own blood,
that by so doing she might purge from her veins the
last vestige of sin. O tears of Margaret Mary! blood-
stained scourges, avenging whips, insatiable thirst for
humiliation and penance; holy industry to purify and
adorn her soul for the coming of the Spouse! How
shall I describe you? St. Francis de Sales himself was
necessary to interpose limits to the young postulant's
ardor. One day he had smilingly said to his daughters
gathered around him that if, in order to assume aus-
terities contrary to their Rules, they ever forgot the
spirit of moderation and sweetness in which he desired
them to live, he would return and make so much noise
1 Memoire, p. 313.
94 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
in their dormitories as to make them readily understand
that they were acting against his will. Margaret knew
something of this. "My blessed Father," said she,
" reproved me so sternly for going beyond the limits of
obedience that I have never since had the courage to
repeat the offence." " Ah, what, my daughter," 9aid he
to me, " do you think to please God by trespassing the
bounds of obedience? Obedience, 2nd not the practice
of austerities, sustains this congregation." '
But if St. Francis de Sales could interfere to moderate
this thirst for immolation and penance which awoke in
Margaret's heart stronger than ever on the day she
crossed the threshold of the convent door, he had only to
bless and encourage another desire that appeared at the
same time: that of casting herself headlong, as she said,
into obedience, humility, self-contempt, and the attain-
ing, as perfectly as she could, the perfection of his holy
Institute. To be a religious only by halves horrified her.
And, indeed, it is scarcely worth one's while to leave
the world for so little! The daughters of St. Francis de
Sales were styled at that time " The Holy Maries" and
Margaret resolved to be, in the full sense of the word,
a holy Mary. We shall soon see whether or not she suc-
ceeded.
Three months passed in those first efforts, at the end
of which the nuns gave her the holy habit, on the feast
of St. Louis, August 25, 1671. No details of this cere-
mony have been preserved. Her sister-novices tell us,
however, in their deposition that her countenance
breathed but modesty and humility, and that a joyous
light played on every feature.2 This was but a feeble
indication of what was passing in the depths of her heart;
for on this same day the Lord showed Himself to her as
the true Lover of her soul, as the One whom she had
chosen above all others, as the One that would indemnify
1 Memoire, p. 314.
2 Process ot 171 5, Deposition ot Sister Contois.
Her Novitiate and her Profession. 95
her for all that she had left for Him. " My Divine Mas-
ter," she said, " let me see that this was the time of our
betrothal, and, like the most ardent of lovers, He made
me taste what was sweetest in the sweetness of His
love." " Indeed," she adds, " His favors were so excess-
ive that they frequently transported my soul, and ren-
dered me incapable of acting. This caused me so deep
confusion that I dared not show my face."1 Torrents
of tears flowed at times from her eyes, and again her
countenance sparkled like a star. She was, for the most
part, so absorbed that she seemed to be no longer or.
earth. This state was so noticeable that the Sisters,
astonished, began to say to themselves: "What is this
little novice about? What is going on within her?"
What was passing in Margaret's soul none knew at
that time. It was only long after that obedience, more
powerful than humility, wrested from her the secret of
the wonders with which she was honored in those first
days.2 She had, indeed, hardly taken the habit when
she received from God an extraordinary grace, one very
rare in the lives of the saints. The Lord began to ap-
pear to her, not from time to time and from afar, as we
read in the life of St. Catharine of Siena and of St.
Teresa, but in a constant and ever-present manner.3
" I saw Him," she said, " I felt Him near me, and I
understood Him much better than if I had seen and
heard Him with my corporal senses. Had it been by
the latter, I should have been able to distract my atten-
tion, to turn away from it; but not having any part in
it, I could not prevent this kind of communication."
1 Memoire, p. 314.
2 Memoire of Mother Greyfie on the life and virtues of our pious
Sister Margaret Mary. This Memoire, of thirty pages, is very pre-
cious. We shall frequently quote from it.
3 It would seem, at first sight, that this admirable privilege was not
conferred on Margaret Mary till after her profession. She does not, in
fact, mention it until this time. But in two other places she says ex-
pressly that she enjoyed it even before that event.
96 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
il He honored me," she adds, " with His conversation
sometimes as a friend, sometimes as an ardently loving
spouse, or as a tender father full of love for his only
child, and in many other ways." '
There were in this rare and marvellous privilege, in
this Divine Presence, less seen than felt, though con-
tinual and penetrating, two diverse aspects, like two
poles, that the Lord showed her in turn. Margaret
Mary, not knowing how to define them, called one the
sanctity of justice, the other the sanctity of love. The
first, the sanctity of justice, made her tremble at the
sight of His infinite Majesty. He impressed on her
words cannot say what sentiment of annihilation, which
made her long to hide in the depths of her own noth-
ingness. She dared remain only on her knees before
this awful Majesty. A number of witnesses deposed at
the process of canonization that when alone, working,
reading, or writing, she always knelt on the ground as if
overwhelmed with respect before the invisible presence
of an invisible Being. "She was so united to God,"
said Sister Marie-Nicole de la Faige, " that, whether
working, writing, or reading, she was always on her
knees with such recollection as one might expect to see
in church." The deponent adds that several times she
beheld her for three or four consecutive hours in the
same position, on her knees, immovable, absorbed in
God; and she was often found bathed in tears.2 "I
was often witness of the fact," said Sister Marie Cheva-
lier de Montrouan, an Ursuline and an old pupil of the
Visitation of Paray, " that Sister Margaret Mary always
worked on her knees. Her recollection was such that
curiosity often impelled me to gaze at her a long time,
and I used to invite my little companions to come
look at her. This they did, though unperceived by her,
1 Memoire, p. 319.
9 Process of 1715, Deposition of Sister Marie-Nicole de la Faige
des Claines.
Chapel in Novitiate of Paray-le-Monial in which
St. Margaret Mary began her religious life.
Her Novitiate and her Profession. 97
so absorbed was she in God." ' " This union with
God," says another witness, " was such that one might
say she preserved it even in sleep." 3
But working on her knees through respect for the in-
finite Majesty that everywhere accompanied her, was
in Margaret the least of the effects of the sanctity of
justice. She would have wished to annihilate herself
before that Presence; and she would have desired that
every fibre of her being might be destroyed, since she
saw not one that was pure. Not being able to effect
this, she tried, at least, to immolate and sacrifice herself.
" If we had not snatched the scourge from her hands,"
says Mother Greyfie, " her blood would have never
ceased to flow."3
Behold what the sight of that which she called
"the sanctity of justice" produced in her! If the
Lord then depicted under her view " the sanctity of
love," it was as if He enkindled a star before her a
thousand times more brilliant. The sight of justice
and of the Divine Majesty may be supported; but not
that of infinite love. To be loved on earth, to be loved
by a being noble, elevated, distinguished ; to be faithful-
ly loved, loved devotedly, — oh, what enchantment! But
to be loved by God — and loved even to folly! Mar-
garet's heart dissolved at the thought, and, like St.
Philip Neri and St. Francis Xavier, she cried out to
God: " Withhold, O my God, these torrents that ingulf
me, or enlarge my capacity to receive them ! " '
But the benign Saviour was not satisfied with accom-
panying the young novice at every step, darting on her
at every turn rays of His love and justice. He appeared
to her from time to time visibly. He spoke to her, en-
couraged her in her difficulties, consoled her in her
sacrifices, and reproved her for her faults. One day when
1 Process of 171 5, Deposition of Sister Marie-Nicole de la Faige des
Claines.
i Ibid. 3 Mother Greyfie's MSmoire.
• MSmoire of Mother Greyfte. p. Xl*i
98 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
she was yielding to some little negligence, " Learn,"
said He to her, " that I am a holy Master, who teaches
sanctity. I am pure and cannot suffer the least stain."
This was said in so stern a tone that there was no sor-
row, no suffering she would not have preferred.1 An-
other day when she seated herself to say her Rosary,
He appeared and darted upon her a glance in which
was mingled so much love and anger that, twenty years
after, she trembled with fear and happiness at its re-
membrance. Again, she tells us: " Once I yielded to
an emotion of vanity in speaking of myself. O God,
how many tears this fault caused me! — for when next
alone He reproved me with: * What art thou, O dust
and ashes, and in what dost thou glory, since thou hast
of thyself naught but nothingness ? That thou mayest
never lose sight of what thou art, I shall place before
thy eyes a picture of thyself.' And then He allowed
me to see what I am. The sight filled me with surprise
and created in me such horror of self, that if He had
not sustained me, I should have swooned with grief.
It was by suffering such as this that He punished the
least emotion of self-complacency. This forced me to
say to Him sometimes: 'Alas, O my God, either let
me die, or hide from me this picture! I cannot behold
it and live. The sight inspired me with hatred and
vengeance against myself; whilst, on the other hand,
obedience did not permit me to perform the rigorous
penances that they suggested. I cannot express all
that I suffered." 2
If, however, the Lord was severe toward faults against
the virtue of religion, faults against respect before the
Blessed Sacrament, for defects of uprightness, of purity
of intention, of humility, nothing could equal His in-
flexible severity when there was question of faults
against obedience, apart from which the greatest virtues
become crimes; the most costly sacrifice, fruits of cor-
1 Me moire of Mother Greyfie, p. 323. 8 Memoire, p. 330.
Her Novitiate and her Profession. 99
ruprion deserving only His wrath. " You deceive
yourself," said He to her, " in thinking to please Me by
such actions and mortifications. I am much more
pleased to see a soul take some little alleviation through
obedience than to overwhelm herself with austerities
and fasts by her own will."1 "All this the Lord said
to me so frequently, so distinctly, in terms so precise,
under figures so touching,, that I determined," said she,
"to die rather than trespass, however little, the limits of
obedience." 2
Tender and good to this soul as toward all others,
though operating in her a little more, since she was
destined for a grand and perilous mission, the Lord
formed her Himself. He aided her to ascend rapidly
the first degrees of perfection, and fitted her gradually
to receive in humilit)' and entire self-forgetfulness His
divine communications. " Nothing was difficult to
me," she writes, "because at this time Jesus steeped
the severity of my sufferings in the sweetness of His
love. I frequently besought Him to withdraw that
sweetness from me, that I might taste the bitterness of
His anguish, the pangs of His death. But He bade me
submit to His conduct, and said that I should see later
how wise and able a director He is who knows how to
guide souls when, forgetful of self, they abandon them-
selves to Him." 3
Whilst things were thus going on in the soul of Mar-
garet Mary, the Sisters, who saw only the exterior, be-
gan to experience astonishment and alarm. In vain
did the humble novice try to hide the graces with which
she was inundated. They could not be concealed
What most astonished the Sisters was, not only the
long hours that she passed on her knees in the choir
or in her cell, her face radiant, her eyes full of tears,
but the state of constant abstraction from which it was
necessary to arouse her. Her work fell from her hands,
1 M6moire p. 324. 9 Ibid. 3 Ibid., p. 325.
IOO Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
and she forgot everything. The poor child's soul was
in heaven, and she knew but imperfectly how to con-
duct herself on earth.
Her Superiors were still more disquieted than the
Sisters. From the very first, Mother Thouvant, the
mistress of novices, thought it her duty to inform Mar-
garet that her manner of acting was not in accordance
with the spirii of the Visitation, and that if she did not
change she could not be admitted to profession.1
The words threw Margaret into great desolation of
soul, and she did her best to change her manner of life.
But how accomplish it? "This spirit," she said, " had
already acquired such ascendency over mine that I
could no longer control it, any more than my other
powers which I felt absorbed in it."2
What the venerable Mother Thouvant desired, and
very justly too, of one so young and inexperienced was
the exterior renunciation of extraordinary lights, and
the practice of prayer according to the simple way in
which the other novices were instructed. Margaret did
not hesitate to obey, but her efforts were fruitless. " I
made," she said, " every effort to follow the method of
prayer taught me, along with other practices; but my
mind retained nothing of all those teachings. The
beautiful points of prayer vanished, and I could neither
learn nor retain anything but what my Divine Master
taught me. This made me suffer greatly, for His opera-
tions in me were frustrated as much as possible, and I
had to resist Him as much as I was able."3 It was like
Jacob's wrestling with the angel. Margaret Mary came
forth bruised and wounded, though having gained more
and more the heart of her mistress by her admirable
obedience.
To assist her in her efforts, and to aid her to over-
come, if possible, her state of absorption, which was
what the Community most remarked, Margaret Mary
1 M6moire, p. 314. 8 Ibid., p. 20. * Ibid., p. 320.
Her Novitiate and her Profession. I o I
was given as aid to Sister Catherine-Augustine Marest,
the infirmarian, who had instructions to keep her con-
stantly employed, and not to allow her a moment's
rest. This Sister Marest was one marvellously well
chosen for her work. She was " incomparable in
strength of body and mind;" greatly given to the active
life, very little to the contemplative; caring little for
the mysteries of direction, as she pleasantly said; know-
ing only her Rule, nothing more, nothing less; but
nobly observing that Rule even to heroism. To all
this she joined a love of God, not tender nor contem-
plative, but warm and ardent. She was a true Martha
with whom was now associated a true Mary. And
it turned out just as we read in the Gospel. Martha
complained of Mary, who, transported, in spite of her-
self, with excessive joy, constantly relapsed from the
activity imposed upon her into the sweet sleep of
contemplation.1 If permitted to enter the choir to
hear the subject of meditation read, scarcely was it over
before Margaret Mary was instructed to go sweep the
corridors, clean the cells, weed the garden, etc. Over-
burdened with work, and longing for that prayer which
she had not been allowed to make, she went to her mis-
tress to beg time to resume it. But the latter repri-
manded her sharply. She told her that it was strange
she knew not how to unite prayer and labor, and sent
her to other occupations more numerous and more over-
whelming.
But these Sisters did well. The Lord, who was en-
riching -Margaret Mary's soul, reigned supreme Master
in it and, in spite of every obstacle, inebriated it with
delight. Pacing the corridors, broom in hand, whilst
the Sisters were sweetly kneeling at the foot of the holy
altar, Margaret Mary had ever before her eyes the in-
visible Object of her love. She contemplated Him, she
listened to Him, she lived under the charm of the per
' Circular of December 17, 171 7. Annee Sainte, vol. ii. p. 242.
102 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoquc.
petual vision granted her by her Celestial Spouse. Work-
ing, she sang:
" The more they contradict my love,
The more that love intlames.
By day. by night, they torture me,
But cannot break my chains.
My Lover's love's of such a kind,
The more I suffer pain.
The closer does He my poor heart
Unto His own enchain." '
The anniversary of her admission to the habit was now
approaching, August 25, 167:, and yet she was not called
to her holy profession. The embarrassment of the
Community increased every day. The Sisters admired
her virtues; her unbounded humility; her obedience;
her love of Rule, so much the more striking as it seemed
to lead her in the most extraordinary ways; and her
charity, which placed her at the service of all. She was
not very skilful in ordinary domestic ways, but she was
so good, so eager, that whilst thanking her for services
badly rendered, the recipient could not fail to be
touched by her goodness of heart. Mother Hersant did
not hesitate to say that Margaret Mary was called to
extraordinary sanctity;2 and from two or three circum-
stances it could be seen that she was capable of the
most heroic sacrifices. Once, for example, she struggled
against a natural repugnance till she fainted. Again,
being tenderly attached to Sister Marie-Madeleine des
Escures, one of the companions of her novitiate, she was
warned interiorly that this sweet union saddened the
jealous love of her Divine Master: and she resolved to
disengage her heart from it. For this three months of
battle were necessary, so affectionate was she by nature.
But in this point, as in all others, she triumphed; for
neither repugnances nor sympathies were capable of
daunting her courage. Nevertheless, although it is
' Memoire, p. 315- ' Process, p. 71.
Her Novitiate and her Profession. 1 03
customary at the Visitation for the profession to take
place one year and one day after the date of reception,
August 25, 1672, rolled by without Margaret Mary's
having had the happiness of pronouncing her holy vows.
"I have learned from many old Sisters," says one of
the witnesses, " that her profession was deferred only on
account of her extraordinary ways; for, as to the rest,
they esteemed her a saint." ' " I have heard from the
Superioress and mistress of novices, who conferred to-
gether about the Blessed One," says Sister Jeanne-
Marie Contois, " that she would one day be a saint.
But she was so extraordinary that perhaps she was not
intended to live out her life at the Visitation." 2 " Mar-
garet Mary," says a third witness, " was an example of
fervor. All had an excellent opinion of her, though
all did not approve her extraordinary ways." 3 " The
Blessed One," says a fourth witness, " was astonish-
ingly fervent during her novitiate. But her extra-
ordinary ways made us fear."4 All the Sisters spoke in
like manner. They reveal to us the very just pre-
cautions taken by the monastery in which suddenly
appeared one of the rarest phenomena of sanctity: an
humble girl whose life was already in heaven, who was
everywhere accompanied by the visible presence of God ;
who in the midst of her Sisters was wholly absorbed,
her eyes suffused with tears; her countenance now
sparkling like a star, or cast down as if in utter annihila-
tion; admirably obedient, and yet incapable of obedi-
ence; avaricious of extraordinary penances, and so
eager for suffering that her Superiors knew neither how
to moderate nor how to satisfy her. Assuredly, if any
convent would have hesitated, for the chances of error
are great in things so delicate, how much more the Visi-
tation, to which St. Francis de Sales so much recom-
mended humility, simplicity, love of the hidden life, and
1 Process, p. 70. 9 Ibid., p. 68.
3 Ibid., p. 72. 4 Ibid., p. 73.
104 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
in which he had supplicated the Sisters to conform
simply and purely to the Rule with no innovations!
One day, after his holy Mass, he knelt with St. Chantal
at the foot of the altar, and both supplicated God never
to send to the Visitation any extraordinary grace.
Thus the idea gradually took possession of the Order
that the Visitation was not called to brilliant gifts; that
it was to live hidden and obscure, like an humble little
violet, and leave to others exceptional favors and great
missions. Such thoughts as these gave rise to their de-
lay in allowing Margaret Mary to pronounce her vows;
but, on the other hand, when they fixed their eyes upon
her, why were they not reassured ? Had there ever
been a vocation more supernatural, more disinterested ?
Who but God had led Margaret to the Visitation, of
which she knew nothing? Who enabled her to over-
come every obstacle? If God willed to make this gift
to the Visitation, why should the Visitation refuse it?
The Spirit breatheth where it will. Love is the master.
And already what signs that the Spirit breathing on
Margaret was truly the Spirit of God, and that she was
conducted by His divine love!
Finally they decided, and after three months' reflec-
tion she entered her great retreat, October 27, 1672, to
prepare for her holy vows. What pen could portray
Margaret's silence, recollection, profound union with
the Lord during this blessed time? From the second
day, abstraction became such that, in order to moderate
a little the intensity of the love that consumed her,' the
Superioress sent her into the field to mind an ass and
its foal which had been purchased for the use of a sick
Sister. Orders were given the holy novice to see that
the animals did not enter the kitchen-garden by which
the field was surrounded, and that the enclosure was
protected. Margaret, in consequence, passed the day
in running now after the ass, now after the foal, both
1 Contemp., p. 37, note.
Her Novitiate and her Profession. 105
strongly tempted by the garden-herbs. The fervent nov-
ice would unquestionably have much preferred being
on her knees at the foot of the holy altar; but she was
where God wished her to be, and what more could she
desire? "If," said she simply, " Saul found the king-
dom of Israel when seeking his father's asses, why
should I not obtain the kingdom of heaven while run-
ning after these animals?" She did, indeed, find it; foi
it was in this place, in the midst of these humble occu-
pations, that, kneeling in a little cluster of hazel-nut
trees which have survived the wreck of time ' and which
are still pointed out to the pilgrim, that she received
one of the greatest favors of her life. She has, however,
given it to us in terms too brief and, above all, too ob-
scure. " I was so contented in this occupation," she
said, " and my Sovereign kept me such faithful company,
that the running did rot disturb me. It was whilst
thus employed that I received favors greater than I had
ever before experienced. It was then that He made
known to me particulars of His holy Passion and death
never before communicated to me. But to write them
would be interminable. Their number makes me sup-
press all. I shall only say that it was this communica-
tion that filled me with such love for the cross that I
cannot live one moment without suffering. But this
suffering must be in silence, without relief, consolation,
or compassion. I long to die with the Sovereign of my
soul, overwhelmed by crosses of all kinds, by oppro-
brium, forgetfulness, humiliation, and contempt.2
The end of this retreat corresponded to its com-
mencement. Never did greater delights inebriate a
soul. Margaret Mary knew all the sweetness of love,
the most tender, most ardent, most divinely consoling.
1 This cluster still exists. On the enormous roots that support it are
nourished the strong green branches. Their leaves are distributed to
pilgrims.
2 Memoire, p. 322.
io6 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
All was, however, mingled with the assurance of future
crosses that would equal in bitterness the sweetness she
had just tasted from the divine caresses. .
At last, November 6, 1672, in the present chapel of the
convent of Paray, at the grate still in existence, Mar-
garet Mary pronounced her holy vows. The details left
us of this ceremony are as meagre as those of her taking
the habit. But better than these, we know perfectly the
sentiments that filled her heart, and the graces with
which she was inundated. The Lord appeared to her
and said: "Up to this moment I have been only thy
Fiance. I shall henceforth be thy Spouse." He prom-
ised never to leave her, but to treat her as His spouse,
which promise He began at once to fulfil " in a man-
ner," she says, " that I feel incapable of expressing, and
of which I shall only say that He spoke to me and-
treated me as a spouse of Tabor." ' Margaret, touched
to the depths of her soul, in a transport of love wrote
with her blood a total consecration of herself to the
Lord. This act concludes in words that recall the sub-
lime cry of St. Teresa or of St. Catharine of Siena:
" All in God, and nothing in self!
All to God, and nothing to self!
All for God, and nothing for self!"
She subscribed herself: " His unworthy spouse, SisUsr
Margaret Mary, dead to the world."2
1 Memoire, p. 318.
2 "We must here express a deep regret. That sacred relic of the
soul and the blood of Saint Margaret Mary is probably lost forever.
It was in the possession of the worthy Mother Baudron, Superioress
of the hospital of Paray, at the beginning of the Revolution. She
knew well its value, and refused to part with it even for one instant.
She consented to lend it only on the entreaty of an aged confessor of
the faith, M. 1'Abbe Jean Gaudin, cure of Vaudebarrier, arch-priest of
Charolles. He asked for it in the same spirit that led St. Hugh when
dying to have exposed at his bedside the relics of St. Marcel, pope
and martyr. M. Gaudin diec' in the odor of sanctity, but what has be-
Her Novitiate and her Profession. 107
We must recall those words of hers just read above
that we may comprehend the true beauty of the voca-
tion given her by God. In the day of her youth the
Lord had said to her : " I shall be to thee the most beau-
tiful, the richest, most powerful, most perfect of all lov-
ers." 1 On the day of her entrance to the novitiate, He
added: " This is the day of our betrothal." 2 Now there
is only one step more. " Until this time I have been
thy Fiance; from this day I wish to be thy Spouse."
This is the whole religious life; for in the cloister as in the
world, " It is not good for man to live alone." God, who
has made us for an infinite love, has placed in us its hid-
den sources. At six years it begins to spring or gush
deeply and tenderly. We go out of ourselves to find
some soul in sympathy with our own. Noble emotion,
given by God and worthy of Him, whence are born
family ties with all its joys! But in the multitude of
souls devoured by the want of human sympathy, who
are they that look above the earth ? Human hearts are
not deep enough for them, human love not sufficiently
strong nor beautiful. They have scarcely seen the
world, and yet they despise it. They have not yet
tasted the cup of love, and still they put it far from
them. Not that they are destitute of sensibility and ten-
derness; on the contrary, no heart is so insatiable as
theirs; but not for created things they yearn — beaming
and radiant they fly to offer their heart to Jesus Christ.
Twenty times I have had this sight under my eyes. I
have seen girls, young and charming, tearing themselves
from the embraces of father and mother, abandoning at
twenty the hopes and illusions of life; and it was from
the greatness of their emotion at parting, the keen ten-
derness of their adieux, that I discovered the beauty of
come of the sacred blood whose presence enabled him to die so well ?"
{Histoire Populaire de la Bienheureuse, par M. 1'AbbS Cucherat, al
moner of the hospital of Paray, p. 84.)
1 Memoire, p. 305. 2 Ibid., p. 314.
108 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
their heart and the power of the attraction that drew
them. Three or four months pass, and behold, they
reappear at the choir-grate for the sweet ceremony oi
the taking of the habit. Look at them! No tears dim
their eyes. Arrayed as young brides, ornamented with
jewels and diamonds that they accept for one instant
for the pleasure of casting them off publicly and tramp-
ling them under foot, their brow bespeaks serenity so
pious and so divine that I have never seen its like in an
earthly union. They know to whom they give them-
selves! And when, after twelve months of a second and
definite trial, they reappear at the grille for the last time,
to pronounce the irrevocable vows; when their voices
are raised in the silence of the holy assembly to say:
" O ye heavens, hear what I say, and let the earth listen to
the words of my mouth ! It is to Thee, my Jesus, that my
heart speaketh /" — it is not only joy, it is enthusiasm that
makes their heart beat, and that betrays in the tremu-
lous tones of their voice the divine passion that con-
sumes them.
But who, then, is this Being, dead on a gibbet more
than eighteen hundred years, and who still excites such
enthusiasm? Who is this invisible Lover hidden from
all eyes, who every day snatches from our side and from
our very heart beings the dearest, the purest, the most
charming, the most suited to enchant and console our
life? Who is He? It is He who said to Margaret at
the age of twenty: "I shall be to thee the most tender
of lovers;" who said to her on the day of taking the
habit: "This is the day of our betrothal;" who at her
profession added: "Till now I have been thy Fiance;
henceforth I wish to be thy Spouse." He, in fine, who
made such promises is alone able to accomplish them.
Whilst human loves perish one by one; whilst flowery
wreaths fade on the brow of the young bride; whilst all
other love deceives, because, alas! it promises more than
it can give, and thus an inevitable melancholy tinges
Her Novitiate and her Profession. 109
every earthly union, — Jesus Christ, on the contrary,
throws around souls consecrated to Him a charm that
is incessantly renewed. Young, intrepid, and valiant
hearts that have left all for Him, that can no more de-
tach themselves from Him, He unites to Himself by
sorrow as well as by joy; and, as He is a crucified
Spouse, whether He inebriates with consolations or
overwhelms with sufferings, He rejoices them all the
same.
1 io Life of Saint Margaret Mary A la cogue.
CHAPTER VI.
FINAL EXTERIOR PREPARATIONS. LAST FINISHING
STROKE WITHIN.
November 6, 1672— December 27, 1673.
" Ego dormio, et cor meum vigilat."
" I sleep, but my heart watcheth."' — Cant. v. 2.
" Satiabor cum apparuerit."
" I shall be satisfied when Thy glory shall appear." — Psalm xvi. 15
HE year following the profession of Sister Mar.
garet Mary resembled the first days of spring-
time when, after a long and silent preparation,
nature suddenly bursts forth perfumed and blossomed
under the influence of a genial dew. Thus it was in the
soul of our saintly professed. From the day of her sol-
emn vows, so rapid was her increase in virtue that the
Whole community was astonished and touched. The
rapidity of this progress was understood later, for only
some months then separated us from the grand revela-
tions of the Sacred Heart. But before that moment it was
easy for observant minds to see with what delicacy God
was preparing all things, that when He should speak
His voice might be heard. The day after the Ascension,
1672, four or five months before Margaret Mary's pro-
fession, the venerable Mother Hersant, having completed
her six years of government, was recalled to Paris. She
had not definitively decided Margaret's vocation, though
she had given her the habit and declared that she would
some day attain extraordinary sanctity. She was re-
placed by Mother Marie-Francoise de Saumaise, whom
God had chosen to be the first confidant of His intimate
Final Exterior Preparations. 1 1 1
communications to our saint. Born at Dijon, in 1620,
she was at this time fifty-two years old. Descended
from an old parliamentary family, she had inherited
their distinguished manners and solid judgment. The
latter was remarked even in her early childhood by
the venerable Mother de Chantal, who predicted that
she would some day be one of the best Superioresses of
the Order. Though never having exercised that charge,,
she arrived at Paray marvellously well prepared to fulfil
it. She was possessed of good judgment and great
decision of character. With a just mind, firm and
clear, she was full of ardor, tempered, however, by ex-
ceeding kindness and the rarest modesty. To these
qualities she added a perfect knowledge of the Visitan-
dine Rules, and one not less profound of God's workings
in souls. To acquire the first science she had been in a
grand school, that of the venerable Mother Brulard,
Superioress of Dijon. She belonged to the old parlia-
mentary family of Brulards, in which honor and justice,
talent and business qualifications were hereditary with
virtue.1 And, as to the second science, she had ac-
quired it at a still higher school, one altogether in-
comparable— that of Mother Anne-Seraphine Boulier,
Superioress of Dijon, who has left on prayer and the
love of God pages truly sublime, which disavow not
her claims to being countrywoman of Bossuet.2 Thus
prepared by that tender and delicate hand which does
1 Annales du Monastere de la Visitation de Dijon, published by
M. l'abbe Colet, Vicar-General of Dijon (present Bishop of Lucon),
Dijon, 1854, chap. xvii. and following. Mother Brulard 's grandmother
was that Mme. Brulard, wife of the first President of the Parliament of
Bourgogne, who was the intimate friend of Mme. de Chantal, and one
of the dearest spiritual daughters of St. Francis de Sales.
2 Vie de la Venerable Mere Anne-Seraphine Boulier, died Superi-
oress of the Visitation of Dijon, Sept. 1, 1683. Mgr. Colet has given
this Life in the continuation of the Annales, p. 271. He has also given
those pages of profound mysticism known under the name of " Avis
de la Venerable Mere Anne-Seraphine Boulier," Annales, p. 393.
H2 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
all with sweetness and strength, Mother de Saumau**
had hardly crossed the threshold of the convent of
Paray when her eyes were fixed on this humble and fer-
vent novice, then in the eighteenth month of her novi-
tiate, and whose extraordinary ways made her the sub-
ject of so much inquietude. Mother de Saumaise was
not slow to recognize in Margaret Mary the character-
istics of the Spirit of God, and it was she who decided
her admission to the holy profession of vows. She first
took a precaution which most significantly reveals her
prudence and faith. Margaret, distressed at the hesita-
tion of the community, breathed out her sorrow at the
feet of her Divine Master, and said to Him: " Ah, Lord,
Thou wilt, then, be the cause of my being sent away!"
The Lord reassured her, and charged her to say to her
Superioress not to fear. Mother de Saumaise, animated
with holy confidence, replied: "Very well; ask the Lord
as an evidence of His promise to render you useful to
the community by the practice of all our Rules. The
Lord answered that she would be useful to the commun-
ity in a way they should see later on. And laying down
Himself the great law that preserves from all illusion,
He promised to adjust His favors to the spirit of the
Rules and the judgment of Superiors, to whom He
wished her to be submissive in all things.1 We are now
to see Mother Saumaise directing our saint in the midst
of her perplexities and trials; recognizing the truth of
her revelations; and later, when she shall have left
Paray, propagating everywhere devotion to the Sacred
Heart, of which she was the first confidant, the first to
acknowledge its divine origin.
But great and providential as it was to be raised into
regions so high by the support sent her by God in
Mother de Saumaise, this support could not suffice. It
is not to virgins even the purest, the most enlightened,
that God has given the gift of discerning His ways and
1 Memoire, p. 317.
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque,
Religious of the Order of the Visitation.
Final Exterior Preparations. 113
supernatural missions in His Church. This gift belongs
to those to whom Jesus Christ has said: "Go teach all
nations."1 Priests teach under the direction of bishops;
bishops, subject to that of the Pope; and the Pope
teaches under the infallible guidance of the Spirit of
God. Explain the Scriptures, scrutinize public prophe-
cies and private revelations, and let all baptized souls
render you, in the limits of the holy hierarchy, the
obedience due to Jesus Christ. Such is the divine con-
stitution of the Church. Consequently, after having
placed near the humble Margaret a virgin enlightened
by God, to console, sustain, and guide, to serve her as
a mother and confidant, it was further necessary to ap-
point a priest, to say to her at the destined hour the
word that calms doubts and unerringly points out the
way.
Such a priest God chose from the Society of Jesus.
He desired by this to recompense that valiant Society
for services rendered the Church in the midst of the
great conflict of the sixteenth century, when it had by
its illustrious founder, his first and heroic disciples, and
its grand theologians, so powerfully contributed to the
arrest of heresy and the vindication of the faith. Per-
haps by this most delicate attention God willed to
thank the Society for the position it assumed in the
seventeenth century in the terrible struggle begun by
incipient Jansenism against the Church. Without weak-
ening the respect due to the infinite majesty of God,
the Jesuits ceased not to exalt His goodness, His ten-
derness for sinners, His infinite love. Even if it were
true, in view of that haughty rigorism which cast souls
into despair, that some of the members of this illustrious
Society, by one of those reactions that cannot be con-
trolled, should have leaned a little too much toward the
opposite side and rendered the road to heaven a little
too easy, it must at least be admitted that they did "t
1 St. Matt, xxviii. 19.
ii4 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
not to their own profit. Whilst preaching moral sweet-
ness, t-iey rigorously preserved among themselves moral
severity; and neither the proximity of courts, the favor
of the great, nor the wealth flowing in upon them from
the gratitude of the people, was ever able to tarnish the
purity of morals or the amiable austerity and generous
fervor of the Society. Let us add that as the price of
so many services, to recompense them for having reared
the youth of all Europe, for having civilized Paraguay,
evangelized Japan, shed their blood on thousands of in-
hospitable regions, enriched civilization by a multitude
of curious discoveries, and, what is much better, em-
balmed the world with the perfume of every virtue, the
Society of Jesus was to be persecuted and disgraced,
its most venerable members cast into prison or sent
into exile. It was only just, therefore, that God should
give it under circumstances so critical not only support
and consolation, but above all, a public sign of His love.
For reasons such as these, the priest charged to recog-
nize and proclaim to the world the truth of the revela-
tions of the Sacred Heart was taken from the Society
of Jesus.
He was called Claude de la Colombiere, and even
then his name was not without glory. His appearance
in the pulpit was remarkable. One felt on beholding
him that, though fitted to shine in the world, he was
one of those refined natures, a being innocent and pure,
whom nothing human or vulgar could ever captivate.
His distinguished manners, his charming conversation,
his mind lively and polished by nature, his address and
grace under every circumstance, added to the correct-
ness of his judgment, were surpassed only by his aus-
terity and virtue. Born in 1641, he was at this time
thirty-two years old ; and, though still so young, had
just been called by his Superiors to pronounce his last
vows. To those demanded of religious by the Church
he added a fourth sufficient to frighten the most fervent.
Final Exterior Preparations. 115
We have the twenty-two articles written by his own
hand ; and we know not if there ever was any one who
vowed to attain perfection so eminent.1 At the close of
his great retreat, he was appointed Superior, with resi-
dence at Paray. He arrived there at the time in which
the third of the three grand revelations of the Sacred
Heart took place, that which was to be the last in the
cycle of those solemn entertainments.
Whilst God was thus preparing the support of which
Margaret was soon to have need, He was also putting
the finishing stroke to her own soul. Her novitiate was
passed in joy and consolation so great that, in her ina-
bility to sustain them, she cried out : " O my God,
diminish Thy favors or increase my power to receive
them !" Delights continuing to inundate her soul after
her profession, she began to be astonished and disquieted.
She had espoused a crucified God, annihilated, humili-
ated, buffeted, and she wished none other. She com-
plained to the Lord, saying : " Ah ! my God, Thou wilt
never, then, permit me to suffer !" Then was witnessed
the beginning of a singular contest between her and her
Spouse. He desired to overwhelm her with loving
caresses and consolations. She desired only sorrow,
contempt, and humiliation, and that so ardently that
the Lord is forced to yield. He withdrew, but slowly,
little by little, like a conquered general skilfully retreat-
ing. Once, when He loaded her with the delights of
Tabor, which, on account of the want of conformity to
her wounded and crucified spouse on Calvary, were
more painful to her than death, He said to her interiorly:
" Let Me do it ! Everything in its own time. Now,
1 Sermons of P. Claude de la Colombiere, third edition, 1689. This
preface, slightly oratorical, and containing few precise details, is,
however, all that we have of Father de la Colombiere. How much it
is to be regretted that nearly two hundred years have rolled around
without the written Life 0/ this great servant of God !
1 1 6 ,Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
My love wishes to amuse itself with thee as it pleases.
But thou wilt lose nothing by it." 1
On another occasion, urged by Her importunity, He
said to her : " Have a little patience ; later I shall make
thee experience what thou must suffer for My love." 2
O adorable goodness of the Lord ! He could not
resolve to begin the crucifixion of His spouse. One
day she conjured Him never to make anything known
about her, unless to humble her before creatures and
destroy their esteem for her. ' For alas ! my God," she
said, " I feel my weakness, and I fear to betray Thee."
" Fear nothing," was the reply. " I shall be thy Pro-
tector." " What ! Lord, wilt Thou, then, always let me
live without suffering ?" she cried. Then Jesus showed
her a cross covered with flowers. " Behold !" He said,
" the bed of my chaste spouses on which I shall make
thee consummate the delights of My love. One by one
these flowers will fade, and naught will remain but the
thorns they now hide from thy weakness. But thou
wilt feel their points so keenly that all the strength of
My love will be needed by thee to enable thee to ac-
complish thy martyrdom." 3
One involuntarily pauses before this vivid and start-
ling picture of life. A bed of thorns covered for a few
moments with flowers. The flowers fade, the dream
vanishes, the illusion disappears, and nothing remains
but points so sharp, so piercing, so penetrating, that
God alone can nerve to the endurance of their pain.
But whilst we weep and groan, Margaret Mary trem-
bled with joy. Jesus' words rejoiced her, for she had
feared never to have sufferings enough to satisfy the
burning thirst for them that gave her no rest by night
or by day.4
The Lord generously multiplied His promises, and
assured her that the hour was not far distant in which
1 Contemp., p. 39. 2 lb., p. 44.
3 Memoire, p. 322. 4 Contemp., p. 45.
Final Exterior Preparations. 117
He would satiate her with suffering and humiliation.
Nothing could satisfy the desire that tormented her.
" It seemed to me," she wrote, " that I should never be at
rest until I found myself unknown to all, and abyssed
in humiliations and suffering ; until I should be lost
in eternal oblivion, in which, if remembered at all, it
would only be to be the more deeply despised. If, in
truth, my Sisters knew the desire I have of being hum-
bled and despised, I doubt not that charity would in-
duce them to gratify me on this point." '
" I experience," she again said, " so strong a desire to
suffer that I cannot find any sweeter rest than to feel
myself inundated with pain, my mind the prey to all
kinds of dereliction, and my whole being drowned in
humiliations, contempt, and contradictions." 2 " Suffer-
ing alone can render life endurable to me," this is the
cry that will henceforth be heard in all her letters. Its
form of expression may, indeed, vary ; but in substance
it will ever be the same.
Her actions corresponded to her words. The plainest
and coarsest food that could be found in the convent
appeared to her too delicate for a sinner like herself ;
so she seasoned it with ashes to render it more unpala-
table. She deprived herself of every kind of beverage ;
and at one time she took the resolution not to drink
anything from Thursday until Saturday of every week.
Reproved by her Superiors, and obliged by them to
slake her thirst, she resorted to a thousand inventions
to do so only with water tepid and unpleasant to the
taste. At night she put planks in her bed, and even
strewed it with fragments of broken potsherds. " Had
she been permitted," wrote her Superioress, Mother de
Saumaise, " she would have martyrized her body with
vigils, disciplines, and other mortifications, although
1 Languet, Vie de la Venerable Soeur, p. 115.
8 Memoire, p. 336.
1 8 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
during six whole years I saw her in the enjoyment of
health for only five months." '
What shall we add ? That with which the dainty of
the century have reproached the illustrious author of
the " Life of St. Elizabeth," that with which they have
reproached us in the " History of St. Chantal," it must
be permitted us to relate here. And yet we warn
fastidious souls that we have suppressed the half. Mar-
garet Mary's sole happiness was to kiss the wounds of
the sick, and press her lips to the most disgusting
ulcers. Once, in particular, when nursing a Sister dying
witli cancer of the stomach, and who could not retain
anything upon it, she wished to clear away her vomit.
She did it with her lips and tongue, saying to Jesus
Christ : u If I had a thousand bodies, a thousand loves,
and a thousand lives, I should wish to sacrifice them all,
in order to be Thy slave." " And," she added, " I found
so much delight in this action that I longed for daily
occasions to teach me to overcome myself in the same
manner, and to have God alone for witness."2
Every da)' exhibited similar scenes, similar desires
after humiliation and contempt, a thousand little strata-
gems to procure herself suffering, and extraordinary as-
pirations after the most frightful self-immolation. There
were, according to her own expression, three tyrants
inclosed within her heart, which gave her neither rest
nor truce, which were never satisfied, and which inces-
santly urged her on to fresh exertions. The first was
love of contempt; the second, love of suffering; the
third, the sweetest, the most powerful, the most insati-
able, the least easily satisfied, was the love of Jesus
Christ. " Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ!" she cried in
tones that expressed more than a lengthy sermon.
" The longer I live, the more clearly I see that a life
without the love of Jesus Christ is the misery of mis-
1 Languet, Vie de la Venerable Soeur, p. 10S.
s Memoire, p. 337.
Final Exterior Preparations. 119
eries. If to go to Jesus Christ I had to walk barefoot
on a pathway of flames, it would seem to me nothing.
After having received Jesus Christ, I remain as it were
annihilated, but filled with joy so entrancing that some-
times for seven minutes my whole interior is hushed in
profound silence, listening to the voice of Him whom I
love." *
" I know not whether I deceive myself," she again
wrote, " for one grows not weary of hearing the accents
of this Divine Voice, so strong, so heroic, so elevated
above our weakness and human impotence. It seems
to me that my pleasure would be to love my amiable
Saviour with a love as ardent as that of the seraphim.
But I should not be grieved even were it in hell that I
loved Him. The thought that there could be a place in
the universe in which, for all eternity, an infinite num-
ber of souls, redeemed with the Precious Blood of Jesus
Christ, would never love this amiable Redeemer, afflicts
me deeply. I would wish, my Divine Saviour, if it were
Thy will, to suffer all the torments of hell, provided I
could love Thee as much as all souls, doomed ever to
suffer and never to love, would have been able to love
Thee in heaven." 2
The more one advances, the more this love of God
consumes. Margaret's frail and delicate constitution
could not resist such emotions. Thin and pale, the
glowing ardor of her mind was visible through her
transparent skin; she realized more perfectly the thren-
ody of her novitiate:
"A chased and panting fawn,
I seek the flowing stream.
The hunter's flying dart
Has pierced my inmost heart."
Such was Margaret Mary in her twenty-fifth year,
and such are all the saints. For us, for the greater part
1 Contemp. , p. 46.
* Languet, Vie de la Venerable Soeur, p. 95.
I20 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
of men, God is known and saluted from afar and but
with difficulty. To some of us He is a friend; for
very few, an intimate friend. But there are others for
whom He is more than a friend, more than a father,
more than a spouse. Their love for Him amounts to
passion, yea, even to folly. This is a mystery the world
does not understand; it laughs and scoffs : but what
matters it ?
Astonishing as it may be at all times to the witnesses
of this stupendous life to see that ever-increasing desire
after sufferings, that hungering after humiliations and
contempt, that thirsting after the love of God, — there is
something that will still more amaze ; namely, that
state of entire absorption in God to which we have al-
ready alluded, and which will now strike the beholder
with astonishment and admiration. In recreation, in
the refectory, in the choir, Margaret's companions
were constantly obliged to rouse her. She no longer
lived on earth. Were she needed for anything, they
never thought of seeking her in her cell. They ran to
the chapel, for she now never left it.1 There she passed
entire hours, kneeling motionless, her hands joined, her
eyes closed. She saw nothing, heard nothing ; she did
not even feel the Sisters tapping her on the shoulder.
But at the sound of the word "obedience," she arose
quickly, and did whatever they requested.
Let us listen to the witnesses of these extraordinary
scenes, and for an instant gaze upon the greatest con-
templative that has appeared in the Church since St.
Teresa:
" I attest," said Sister Marguerite d'Athose, " to hav-
ing seen the venerable deceased pass almost the entire day,
particularly Sundays and feasts, before the Blessed
Sacrament, on her knees, immovable, in recollection so
profound that the whole community was surprised that
1 Process of 171 5, Deposition of Sister Rosselin.
Final Exterior Preparations. 1 2 1
she could remain so long in the same position, though
her constitution was not the strongest." 1
" Having lived long years with the venerable Sister,
I affirm," says Sister Claude-Rosalie de Farges, " that
she was always the first at morning prayer. So rapt
was her attention before the Blessed Sacrament that on
feasts she never stirred almost the whole day, but re-
mained before it in an attitude of respect and abase-
ment that inspired the beholder with devotion." The
deponent affirmed, also, that she had seen her from
seven o'clock, Holy Thursday evening, till four o'clock the
next morning on her knees, immovable, her hands joined
on her breast; and that the Sisters who succeeded her
(the deponent) beheld her in the same position until
the Office. This gave cause to the deponent to say to
Margaret : " My dear Sister, how can you remain
kneeling so long?" To which Margaret answered:
" At such times I do not even know that I have a
body."8
Another deposition is still more explicit and curious,
that of Sister Elizabeth de la Garde, Superioress of the
convent of Paray. She entered the convent almost at
the same time as the venerable Sister, and had been her
companion of the novitiate. " I certify," she said,
" that the venerable Sister was always most faithful to
pass all her free time before the Blessed Sacrament, her
hands joined in profound adoration. No movement on
her part ever betrayed a wandering of mind. On feast-
days, from the time she rose until dinner, and from the end
of the recreation till Vespers^ there she was in prayer.
But on Holy Thursday, for several consecutive years,
she passed from seven in the evening until the next morning
kneeling in the same place, neither coughing nor mov-
ing." This led the deponent to notice Margaret Mary
whilst she herself was in the choir, and commission
1 Process of 1715, Deposition of Sister Marguerite d'Athose, p. 67.
8 Process of 1715, p. 69.
122 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
others to do the same when she went to rest, that she
might know whether Margaret preserved the same atti*
tude. The Sisters thus commissioned assured Mother
Elizabeth that Sister Margaret Mary knelt in the same
posture ail night.1
What was then done by Mother de la Garde's orders
was ever after continued during Margaret Mary's life.
" One Holy Thursday night," says one of the witnesses,
u we went from time to time to look at Margaret Mary
through a half-open door of the choir. There she was
kneeling, immovable, her hands joined on her breast,
her countenance radiant. This lasted twelve hours without
the slightest motion on her part." a "I have often watched
her," says Sister Marie Rosalie de Lyonne, " and I once
saw her myself kneeling from seven o'clock in the evening
till midnight, and others observed the same from midnight
until the next morning at seven o'clock. During all this
time Margaret remained immovable on her knees, her
hands joined." " Next day," continues the deponent,
" having asked her how she could remain so long in the
same posture, and of what she was thinking all that
time, she replied : ' I am then so occupied with the
Lord's Passion that I do not know that I have a body.
I feel nothing.' " 3
It was not only the Sisters succeeding one another
in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament who watched
her through the half-open choir door, but the little
boarders asked leave to rise during the night that they
too might see " their saintly mistress praying to God
so fervently." 4 The Faithful, also, on days of Exposi-
tion flocked to peer through the choir grate and to point
her out with the finger, saying: " See the saint! " But
their notice had not the power to distract her.6
The Sisters of the Community carried their pious cu-
1 Process, p. 72. 2 lb., p. 64.
3 lb., p. 66. * lb., p. 81.
* lb., p. 102.
Final Exterior Preparations, 123
riosity still further. They approached her, they spoke
to her, they tapped her on the shoulder, but without
obtaining a word of reply. " I attest," said Sister
Jeanne-Francoise Chalon, "that I several times saw the
servant of God in His holy presence before the Most
Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. I spoke to her without
being able to draw a word of response from her. She
was immovable as a marble statue, she was wholly rapt
in God."1 " I have heard my brother, the chaplain and
confessor of the convent, say," deposed M. Claude
Michou, an advocate of the parliament, "that when
on her knees before the altar, Saint Margaret Mary
appeared ecstatic."*
This word ecstasy will perhaps cause some to smile.
But allow me to ask: Is there any love without contem-
plation, any ardent passion without ecstasy? What is
the life of a mother during the first months of her
child's life? Is it other than a rapturous transport be-
fore the crib ? And what takes place around a death-
bed on which still rest the remains of a cherished being?
The living regard the dead, they contemplate the re-
mains, they forget themselves. Are they seated or on
their knees during this contemplation ? How long has
it lasted ? Who can say ? The more they love, the less
they know.
This is what Saint Margaret Mary did during those
long nights. Twelve consecutive hours on her knees,
her hands joined on her breast, her eyes closed, without
coughing or moving, like a marble statue, like an ecs-
tatica! She loved, and in loving she forgot herself!
Only one thing could recall her to earth, and that
was the word obedience. At that word she became
conscious, bowed sweetly to the altar, and rose to
go whither obedience called. " I affirm," says Sister
Francoise-Rosalie Verchere, " that I have seen hei
tor entire hours in prayer, and so rapt that I have
1 Process of 171 5, p. 106. ' lb., p. 87.
124 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
approached without being able to distract her. But at
the least sign of obedience she left all to respond to it.'
Said witness confessed to having told her once as if
coming from the Superioress, though in fact it was of
witness' own suggesting and merely to see whether
Margaret Mary would leave her prayer or not, to go
warm herself. On the instant she set off to obey.1 " I
remember," says Mother Elizabeth de la Garde, " that
once, wishing to make a trial of the obedience of the
servant of God, I sent a Sister to whisper in her ear:
'Sister, Mother says go and warm yourself.' It was
Holy Thursday night, and very cold, and she had asked
permission to remain. But. immediately Margaret Mary
made her genuflection, withdrew, and went to the fire
for a quarter of an hour. On coming back, she resumed
her place in the choir till Prime of the next day, just
seven hours."3
Extraordinary as was Margaret Mary's immobility
during twelve consecutive hours notwithstanding the
cold of the night, it was not the most astonishing fea-
ture in her wonderful life. At times, whilst thus kneel-
ing in the choir, she suddenly fainted, and had to be
borne out trembling and radiant, her countenance on
fire, her eyes suffused with tears. To the questions put to
her she could answer nothing, nor was she able to sup-
port herself. Once they found her thus extended in the
choir, torrents of tears flowing softly and uninterrupt-
edly from her eyes.3 On another occasion she said:
"I neither felt nor knew where I was. When they came
to take me away, seeing that I could not answer nor
support myself without great difficulty, they led me
to our Mother. I was quite out of myself; I trembled
and seemed to be consumed by fever. They thought I
would die."4
It was repeated scenes like this that astonished and
1 Process of 171 5, p. 52, e lb., p. 72.
3 Memoire, p. 327. 4 lb., o 328
Final Exterior Preparations. 325
alarmed the Sisters, inspired some with tender pity
and respect, others with admiration and enthusiasm,
and caused all to say: "What can it be? What passes
between God and this soul during those long hours ?
Is it an illusion ? or is it God acting in her ? If so, for
what end ?"
We now know the answer to all these questions.
Obedience unsealed the lips of the humble virgin, and
the Church has authenticated her words. Guided by
this authority, let us penetrate without fear of decep-
tion into the secret of her raptures, and contemplate
their beauty.
But first we must collect them. We must do like the
pilgrim on approaching Jerusalem. He hears his guide
suddenly cry out: " El Cods! LaSainte!" Deeply moved,
he pauses, kneels, and adores before presuming to rest
his eyes on that city in which appeared the Word made
flesh, on that hill upon which expired Infinite Love!
26 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
CHAPTER VII.
THE AURORA OF THE DEVOTION TO THE SACRED
HEART.
"Quasi aurora consurgens."
" As the morning rising." — Cant. vi. 9.
" Omnia in mensura, et numero, et pondere disposuisti."
" Lord, Thou hast ordered all things in measure, and number, and
weight." — Wisdom xi. 21.
^ OD had taken three-and-twenty years to prepare
the heart of Saint Margaret Mary for the pro-
digious marvel whose secret He was about to
confide to her; but He was going to employ still more
time in preparing the world to understand that wonder
and to accept it. All beautiful things here below have
an aurora that precedes and announces them, that turns
toward them all eyes and hearts. The devotion whose
history we are going to relate had its rosy dawn, and
the time has come to portray it.
Can we imagine the Church existing seventeen hun-
dred years without a thought of the Adorable Heart of
her Divine Spouse ? Can we fancy her innumerable
virgins, so inflamed with love for Jesus, never craving
the happiness of St. John, the happiness of reposing on
the breast of the Divine Master ? Did none of her Doc-
tors ever contemplate that pierced side whence flowed
he wonderful mixture of blood and water ? If it be true
that our forefathers believed as we that the heart is the
seat of love; if all nations have guarded with respect
and carried in triumph the hearts of their deceased
heroes, how admit that those far-off Christian ages, so
Aurora of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. 127
filled with enthusiasm for the person of the Saviour,
cast no glance, breathed no prayer toward His Sacred
Heart, the most beautiful, most noble, most tender, the
purest and greatest of all hearts ?
Far up through past centuries, off in the catacombs
of Rome or Lyons, in those remote ages whose writings
are rare, whose chiselled marble and frescoed walls
form the annals of their Christian generations, we behold
the devout gaze fixed upon the pierced side of the Sav-
iour, on the stream of love flowing from it, and the
Heart that forms its source. When, at Lyons, the young
deacon Sanctus appeared before his executioners and
astonished them by the firmness of his heroic courage,
the historian of his martyrdom asked how he could
endure fire and sword and other most atrocious tor-
ments. Sanctus had but one answer: " It was," said he,
"because the holy deacon was sprinkled and strength-
ened by the source of living water gushing from the
Heart of Christ."1 There, was recently discovered in
the cemetery of the Via Strata, at Autun, a Greek inscrip-
tion placed in the second century on the tomb of a
Christian. With the confession of the Divinity of Christ,
with the names of Saviour, Jesus, Redeemer, we find in
it special mention of the Adorable Heart, toward which,
even as early as the second century, souls turned for
the gifts of faith and hope and love.2 From those far-
off ages, of which we have so few memorials, we pass to
those of the Doctors, the brightening aurora of the
Church, and find Tertullian contemplating the pierced
side of the Saviour and reading therein the title of our
vocation and election to salvation.3 It was St. Cyprian
who passed before the singular mixture of blood and
1 Eusebe, Lettre des Martyrs de Lyon.
8 Card. Pitra, Spicil. Solesm., torn. i. p. 554.
3Tertull. De Baptismo, cap. xvi., et De Anima, c. xliii. '* Somnus
Adse mors erat Christi dormituri in mortem, ut de Injuria perinde lateris
ejus, vera mater viventium figuraretur Ecclesia."
128 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
water flowing from the wounded breast of the Christ,
and from it saw the Church springing forth in radiant
beauty.1 It was St. Ambrose who immortalized this
divine wound through which the Saviour's graces
have flowed upon and embalmed the world, like those
odoriferous plants that emit their perfume only when
wounded.2 It was, above all, St. Augustine who, by the
tenderness and heavenly elevation of his soul, was so
capable of understanding the mysteries of the Heart of
Jesus. "Oh!" he cried, "of what a perfect word the
Evangelist made use when he said: ''One of the soldiers
opened His side with his lance? He does not say, 'His
side was struck j ' he says, ' His side was opened j ' that is to
say, the door of life was opened to allow the sacraments
and all other graces to flow upon the world."3 Under
a thousand forms the saint develops the sublime doc-
trine that from the wounded side of Jesus Christ the
Church was born and the sacraments came forth. From
it beams light upon souls, and from it issues love. The
Heart of Jesus, he tells us, ought to be the special asy-
lum, the refuge of all in need of consolation, strength,
or pardon. " Consider, O man," he says, speaking in
the person of the Lord, "how much I have suffered for
you. My head was crowned with thorns, My feet and
hands pierced, My blood shed. I have opened My side
to you and given you to drink the precious blood that
flows from it! What more can you desire ?" " Approach,
then," continues the holy Doctor, " this fountain of liv-
ing water, of which He will give us the water of salva-
tion without money and without price. He invites us to
come and draw: ' If any man thirsts let him come to Me.' 4
1 Cyprian, De mont. Sinae et Sion. " Percussus de lancea, sanguis
ex aqua mixtus profluebat, unde sibi Ecclesiam sanctam fabricavit in
qua legem passionis suae consecrabat, dicente ipso: Qui sitit, veniat et
bib at."
8 Ambros. Serm. in. in Psalm xxviii. et cxviii.
3 Aug. Tract, cxx. in Joan.
4 St. John, vii. 37.
X
Autographed Record of St. Margaret Mary's reception of habit.
In part as follows :
I, Margaret Alacoque, daughter of M. Claude Ala-
coque and Mile. Philiberte Lamyn, having with their
consent lived for two months at this Convent, consid-
ered its rules and exercises and voluntarily petitioned
for the habit of a choir sister of this Congregation,
have, by the grace of God, obtained same together with
the name of Margaret Mary, this 25th day of August,
1671.
Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Aurora of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. 129
Behold the purest of fountains gushing up in the midst
of paradise and watering the whole earth." ' In these
words of St. Augustine, we hear St. John Chrysostom,
St. Basil, St. Gregory of Nazianzen, St. Ephrem, St.
Cyril, and other Fathers of the fourth century.2
Deeply impressed with this doctrine, artists of the first
centuries impressively depicted it to the eye, when they
represented Jesus on the cross. His side presents a
gaping wound, from which gushes an impetuous tor-
rent of blood ; and at the foot of the cross stands the
Church collecting the precious blood in a chalice.8
Sometimes, to give the Blessed Virgin the first place
near the dying Saviour, they depict the Church in a
kneeling or half-sitting posture, and holding the chalice
in the direction of the open side. Most frequently,
however, she is standing nimbus-crowned, her standard
in her hand. Farther back in the picture are seen the
Blessed Virgin and St. John standing and in tears,
though the Church weeps not. In her eagerness to
catch the precious stream, whence she draws her exist-
ence, she holds up her chalice as high as possible so as
not to lose one drop.4 No description can convey to
him who has not studied these old paintings the enthu-
siasm with which the Church contemplates the wound
of the Heart from which she came forth as Eve from
the open side of Adam.5 Thus it was that for centuries
1 Aug. De Symbolo ad catechum. , vi. , in Psalm 1.
2 If some scholar well versed in Greek and in Latin patristic lore
would make a collection from age to age of all that the Fathers have
said upon the Sacred Heart, he would be of eminent use to the Church
in our day.
a See, in particular (Melanges d'archeologie, par le P. Chas. Cahier),
an ivory crucifix sculptured after the model belonging to M. Carraud.
The blood flows in a stream upon a large cloth.
4 See, among others, the crucifix of Cividale del Frinli (Gori, The-
saur. Diptych., torn. iii. p. 321.
5 Crucifix of Bamberg (Biblioth. of Munich). It belonged to the
Emperor St. Henry. Nothing is more admirable than the ardor with
13° Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
the first and i'ondest regards of all Christians were fixed
on the wounded side of their Saviour.
But let us leave these far-off times and enter the
epoch of the great Doctors of the Middle Ages. What
progress ! They contemplate not only the pierced side,
for, passing through it, they catch a glimpse of the Heart
of burning love, and to it offer their adoration. "Thy
Heart has been wounded," exclaims St. Bernard, " that
the visible wound may reveal to us the invisible one of
love. For who would allow his heart to be wounded if
love had not already attracted it ? But also who would
not seek, who would not love, a heart thus wounded ?" '
Elsewhere he explains this text: " My dove in the
clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall;" and
shows that the clefts of the rock are the wounds of Jesus
Christ, above all that of the side through which may
be seen His Heart. " Oh !" he cries out, " how good
and how sweet to dwell in this Heart ! Precious treas-
ure, rare pearl that Thy Heart, O good Jesus, found in
ploughing up the field of Thy body ! Who could reject
this pearl beyond price ? Ah, I should rather give all
to purchase it ! And there, in this temple, in this
Holy of holies, in that sacred ark, I shall live, I shall
praise, I shall adore! O Jesus! draw me into Thy
Sacred Heart; and that I may dwell there, wash me
from my iniquities, purify me from every stain. O
nost beautiful of the children of men, Thy Sacred
Heart has been opened only that we may be able to
dwell in it in safety and in peace." 2
These and similar words constantly escaped the lips
of St. Bernard. He filled the solitude of Citeaux and
Clairvaux with them. It suffices to open the works of
St. William, of St. Guerric and his principal disciples, to
which the Church rose up to catch the divine blood, which not only
flowed but poured out in streams.
1 St. Bernard, Tract, de Passione, cap. iiL
Mb,
Aurora of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. 131
be convinced of this. But he did not proclaim it in
public. Did he find the world still too barbarous, too
gross, to grasp this doctrine so delicate, so high ? Or
rather, had the hour not yet come for that star to rise on
the world ? This is more probable. The period of
which we speak was but the dawn of devotion to the
Sacred Heart, whose sweet, strong light was to pene-
trate only some few chosen souls.
We must not omit from the rank of those chosen ones
a man whom the imagination cannot contemplate with*
out being inflamed with devotion to the Heart of Jesus.
Look at that pale, emaciated, ecstatic figure on the rocks
of Mt. Alvernia. On his forehead we read meekness,
humility, tenderness, and peace. In his eyes burn a
pure and brilliant flame which reveals his ardent love
of God. The wounds of the Saviour's feet and hands
are reproduced on his flesh, and he bears in his side the
impress of the stroke of the lance that opened the side
of Jesus ! Oh, who can depict his emotion when, on
the summit of Alvernia, from the heart of the serapu
that appeared to him darted those rays of fire and love
to pierce his own heart ! Francis has written nothing.
We have no word of his revealing the extent of his
devotion to the Heart of Jesus. But all around him,
among his most cherished disciples, there is a trace of
light more brilliant than that which surrounded St.
Bernard. We shall quote St. Bonaventure. What light
and what tenderness ! " Oh !" he cries out, " had I
been the lance that pierced the Heart of Jesus, thinkest
thou that once having entered I should ever, ever have
come forth ? No ! no ! I should have remained therein.
I should never have been able, I should never have
desired, to leave that abode. I should have said: * This
is my rest forever and ever. Here will I dwell, for I
have chosen it.'"
And, again: "O my soul! thy most sweet Saviour
desires to take thee for spouse, to tell thee the secrets of
132 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
His Heart; and delayest thou to flee to Him ? In the ex-
cess of His love He longed for the lance that opened
His side, that He might prove to thee that He had given
thee His Heart. Oh, didst thou know how sweet this
Heart is ! Enter therein, and when thou shalt be in
that most sweet Heart of Jesus, do thou close after thee
the doors of His wounds, so that it may be impossible
for thee ever to go forth. Thy heart will then be so
inflamed with love that it will seem to thee that thou
wouldst gladly escape from thy body to dwell in the
wounds of Jesus Christ." " O most holy, most amiable,
most sweet wounds of Jesus Christ ! One day I entered
therein, I penetrated even to the most secret recesses of
love. There inclosed on all sides, I knew not how to
retrace my steps. Behold why I remain therein and
rest forever. There I am all ardor, all love. There I
enjoy without stint abundance of all riches ! O man,
take my word ! If thou dost try to enter the Heart of
the most sweet Saviour by the opening of His wounds,
not only thy soul but thy body shall taste a sweetness
most admirable."1 What more could one wish? The
seraphic soul of Margaret Mary holds for us, concerning
the honor of the Heart of Jesus, neither accents more
tender nor teachings more explicit.
With whatever discretion these holy Doctors environed
themselves, a'nd although, in general, they confined
their teaching to the cloister, it was difficult for them
to prevent some sparks from bursting forth. We begin,
besides, at this epoch to see even those bound to the
world cultivating the habit of retiring from it and them-
selves, and making their dwelling in the pierced side of
their Lord. Blessed Elzear, Comte d'Arian, in Prov-
ence, having, says St. Francis de Sales, been long absent
from his devout and chaste Delphina, she sent a mes-
senger to him to inquire expressly for his health. Be-
hold the reply she received: " I am very well, my dear
1 Bonav. Stimulus amoris, pars 1. cap. i. et vii.
Aurora of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. 133
wife; but if you wish to see me, seek me in the wound
of the side of our sweet Jesus: for it is there that I
dwell, and there you will find me. Elsewhere yon will
seek me in vain." This was a Christian chevalier indeed.1
Whilst this sweet aurora darted its beams on the silent
solitudes of Clairvaux and Citeaux, on the fervent mon-
asteries of St. Francis of Assisi, and on some chosen souls
in the midst of the world, it beamed brightly, also, in the
erudite schools of St. Dominic. Listen to St. Thomas, the
Angel of the Schools, who, seeking for marks of predes-
tination, found them in the assiduous contemplation of
the pierced Heart of Jesus.2 Hear Blessed Henry Suso,
called the Ecstatic Doctor on account of the sublimity of
his contemplation: " O Jesus! remember the cruel lance
that wounded Thy side and pierced Thy Heart! That
Heart, wounded and opened for us, is become to us, O
Jesus, a fountain of living water!" 3 Listen to John
Tauler, surnamed the Sublime Theologian, who, medi-
tating on the Passion of the Saviour and contemplating
the wound of His Heart, exclaims: "What more could
He do ? He has opened His own Heart for us to enter.
He has given us this Sacred Heart cruelly wounded as
our dwelling-place, so that, being purified therein and
having acquired perfect conformity with it, we may be
worthy of being received with Him in heaven."4 In
fine, all the theologians of the Order of St. Dominic,
even to Blessed Louis of Grenada, " the Bossuet of
Spain," as he was called, who opened an admirable
chapter of his Memorial with this cry: " I adore Thee,
O most sweet, most amiable, most merciful Heart,
wounded for love of me."6
1 Introduction to the Devout Life, part u. chap. xii.
2 S. Thom. in cap. xix. Joan.
5 Life of Blessed Henry Suso, ch. vii. See at the end of his life his
" Contemplations on the Passion of Jesus Christ."
4 Tauler, Exercises on the Life and Passion of Jesus Christ, ch. ix.
Jesus Pierced with a Lance.
6 Louis of Grenada, Memorial, ch. y%
134 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Thus did the aurora brighten with succeeding cen-
turies. It was not only the pierced side that was con-
templated, it was the Heart, and in the Heart was
adored the immense love of a God for man; neverthe-
less, neither St. Francis of Assisi, nor St. Dominic, nor
St. Bonaventure, nor Henry Suso, nor Tauler thought
of spreading throughout the world devotion to the
Sacred Heart. They delighted their own soul with it,
they embalmed their cloisters with it; and, although
millions of Christians crowded on their track as they
traversed the country preaching peace, reconciling cities,
appeasing passions, causing faith, humility, and the
love of God to flourish everywhere, never one word
from their lips called the people to honor that adorable
Heart, the Source of purity and devotedness, of love
and peace. The aurora, undoubtedly, increased; but
the hour destined by God for the star to rise was not
yet come.
This progress and, at the same time, this prudence
are read in the beautiful works of the painters and
sculptors of that epoch. Contemporaries of St. Bernard,
St. Dominic, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Bonaventure,
and the greater part of the disciples of these saints, not
one of them ever dreamed of representing the Heart of
Jesus or the rays proceeding from the Saviour's breast,
though some significant facts made known the new direc
tion of their piety. The first was a subject treated by
them with singular complacency; namely, the ecstatic
slumber of St. John on the Saviour's breast. They re
turned to it constantly; they clothed it with a delicacy of
sentiment, a depth of expression, a sort of jealous enthu-
siasm which is really a revelation, and which we again
find in the magnificent sequences dedicated at this
epoch to the Beloved Disciple.' Moreover, when they
1 See in particular the Four Sequences of Adam of St. Victor, the
greatest lyric poet of the Middle Ages, if St. Thomas had lot on two
or three occasions shown himself as capable in this branch as in ali
others.
Aurora of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. 135
represented the crucifix, it was no longer in the gross
manner of preceding ages: that open side, that torrent
of blood, that chalice held with so much eagerness. It
was something more intimate, more tender. The
wound, which had hitherto been represented on the
right side of the Saviour, now gradually passed to the
left;1 and there it was that all eyes concentrated, and
all lips began to rest. There are numbers of touching
and ingenuous examples, in which is seen the contem-
plative genius of the Middle Ages. I shall only cite
that of the descent, or rather the taking down from the
cross, represented on the shrine of the great relics at
Aix-la-Chapelle. One of the arms, the right one, is de-
tached, and Mary supports it weeping; Nicodemus
draws the nail from the left hand; Joseph of Arimathea,
supporting the sacred body, embraces the wound of the
Heart. Sometimes, even, but rarely, as at the portal of
the cathedral of Mayence, artists have ventured to repre-
sent Christ sitting, opening His tunic and showing His
Heart. At the right and on the left are seen a man and a
woman, the woman at the side of the Heart, both pros-
trate, adoring the open side, upon which their tender gaze
is riveted. Nowhere, I repeat, is the Heart itself repre-
sented, nowhere are seen rays.'2 It is always shown to us
like the first gleam of dawn, heralding the advent of the
sun.
But to behold the sweet aurora developing in brill-
iancy we must cast our gaze on the virgins whom the
sacred solitudes of the Middle Ages hid from all eyes.
Who but a woman can comprehend the mysteries of
the heart ? Who will rise so far as to have a presenti-
1 See in the museum of Cluny a Christ of the twelfth century; the
hands extended, and a large wound in the left side. See also an in-
crusted enamel of the thirteenth century, the chalice on the left side.
2 I have, however, seen at Cologne a pall of the thirteenth century,
upon which is embroidered in red silk a heart pierced with a lance.
But this is the only example of the kind of which I know; and I air
not sufficiently assured of its authenticity to adduce it as a proof.
136 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
merit of the mysteries of the Heart of Jesus, if it be not
a virgin? The lights, the Fathers of the early ages, the
Doctors of the Middle Ages, pale before the intuition
of virgins hidden in the silence of cloisters. It is in
them not only a light, an adoration, a devotion, it is
more still. In these tender intimacies of Jesus with His
spouses, the heart is all. They forget, I do not say, only
His grandeur, His majesty, but even the wounds of His
feet and hands; they see only His Heart. And when
Jesus appeared to them, He also showed them only His
Heart. One day, for example, when St. Gertrude saicl,
" My Lord Jesus Christ, I supplicate Thee, by Thy
Heart transpierced by a lance, to pierce the heart oi
Gertrude with darts of Thy love," the Lord appeared,
and showing her His open side, said, " Look at my
Heart. I wish it to be thy temple." At these words
Gertrude felt herself drawn in a marvellous manner
into the Heart of Jesus, where " to say what she tasted,
what she saw, what she heard, belongs not, as she tells
us, to any tongue neither human nor angelic."1 On
another occasion, though making efforts to pray with
attention, she was besieged by those distractions which
the saints knew as well as we, but which they bewailed
more than we. The Lord, to console her, presented her
His Heart, saying: " Behold my Heart, the delight of
the Holy Trinity! I give it to Thee that it may supply
for what is wanting to Thee." From that moment Ger-
trude prayed only through that Divine Heart. By it
she offered to God her adoration and thanksgiving, the
insufficiency of which she now no longer felt. In it she
rested, and her whole life was only one long and sweet
sigh of love toward that Heart wounded by love still
more than by the lance that had entered it. From that
abode she wished never to come forth. 2
St. Mechtilde, who astonished the thirteenth century
1 Revelations of St. Gertrude, bk. in. ch. xvi.
3 lb. ch. xv.
Aurora of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. 1 37
by the splendor of her illuminations, was honored by no
less favors. One night when she could not sleep on
account of a violent pain in her head, Jesus Christ let
her see the wound of His Heart, and invited her to enter
and repose in it. From that day she felt touched by so
lively devotion toward the Divine Heart of Jesus Christ,
and received from it such graces, that she was accus-
tomed to say: " If I should write all the favors that I
have received from the most amiable Heart of Jesus, it
would make a larger book than my breviary."1
St. Lutgard received still more tender favors, per-
haps. One day, whilst yet a young girl, she was enter-
taining a suitor, when suddenly Jesus Christ appeared
to her, opened His sacred breast, and showed her His
Heart. " Look," said He to her, " this is what thou
oughtest to love. Forsake the attractions of human
love, and thou shalt find in my Heart ineffable delights."
Some time after, in recompense for her immediate re-
nunciation of human happiness, the Lord again appeared
to her, fastened to the cross and radiant with love. As
she was contemplating Him in ravished delight, He de-
tached one of His arms and drew her to His adorable
breast. There He made her, swooning with rapture
celestial, press her lips to the wound of His Heart.2
To these illustrious virgins of the thirteenth century
must be added another saint. She is still more cele-
brated, for she bore on her flesh the secret impress of
the Saviour's wounds; and less hidden, since she was
invested with the mission to lead the Pope from Avignon
to Rome, and thus become the Joan d'Arc to the Papacy.
She it was that excited in the Middle Ages deep and
universal enthusiasm. This was St. Catharine of
Siena. One day when meditating on this verse,
" Create in me a new heart," she beheld her Divine
Spouse approach and touch her left side with His hand.
1 Vie de Sainte Mechtilde, liv. n. ch. xxii.
2 Boll. Act. SS. Junii, torn. iii. p. 239.
138 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
She immediately experienced such a shock of pain and
love in it as to cause her to swoon with happiness.
Amazed and dumfounded, for it seemed to her that
her Spouse had taken her heart from her breast, she
saw Him reappear with a luminous heart in His hand.
At this sight, the virgin sank trembling and fainting.
The Divine Spouse approaching, these tender words
reached her ear: " My daughter, I have thy heart and I
give thee Mine, that thou mayest forever live in Me."
From that day Catharine had not only a wound in her
left side, which crowds came to contemplate respect-
fully after her death, but in he.- heart so active a fire
that, in comparison with it, all material fire seemed
cold. Along with that fire, she felt an elevation of soul,
a purity, a generosity, and such transports of love
as commanded the admiration of the fourteenth
century.
After such a favor it might seem that, if any one
ought to propagate devotion to the Sacred Heart, it
should have been St. Catharine. One day the Lord
even spoke to iier in terms as precise as those He used
in speaking to Margaret Mary; for when Catharine
asked Him why His side had been pierced, He an-
swered: "It was to reveal to men the secret of My
Heart, and make them understand that My love is far
greater than the exterior manifestations I have given ot
it. My sufferings have had an end, but My love has
none." But neither the light of such a revelation, nor
the favor with which the Sovereign Pontiff surrounded
her, nor the popular enthusiasm with which her slight-
est words were received, could transform Catharine
into an apostle of the Sacred Heart. Sh ; did not even
dream of such a mission.
Similar things must be said of St. Magdalene di
Pazzi. The Lord one day appeared to her and showed
her His Heart, from which moment she was so filled
with divine love that, to moderate the fire which con-
Atirora of the Devotion to the Sacred Heai't. 1 39
sumed her, she was obliged to open her habit, or to
pour forth burning words in strains of highest praise
and joy.1 St. Catherine of Genoa, also, being in
prayer, suddenly received so violent a wound that the
fire enkindled in her heart rapt her into ecstasy. She
appeared like one demented, as she sought relief from
the fire of her wound. One day, astonished and
frightened at this phenomenon, and feeling she would
certainly die, she asked the Lord the cause of the wound
that was consuming her heart. Then she saw herself
tenderly drawn to the breast of Jesus Christ crucified;
His Sacred Heart all inflamed with love was shown her;
and she learned that from that source came the flames
that devoured her.2
In this history of the Heart of Jesus we must not
forget St. Margaret of Cortona, who, seeing once, the
pierced side of Jesus Christ open like a cavern of love,
hastily laid her hand on her own heart, to prevent its
leaping out of her breast.3
Nor must we pass you over, sweet St. Rose of Lima,
little flower of the Indies, who constantly saw the Heart
of Jesus burning like a fiery sun over your head; and
who one day, when one of its rays fell on your heart,
felt the sweet languor of happiness and love.4 Nor you,
Blessed Angela of Foligno, Clare of Montefalco, Mar-
garet of Hungary, Beatrix of Citeaux, Hosanna of
Manteau, Frances of Rome, Jane of Valois, rivals of St
Catharine of Siena and of St. Gertrude, who having
once seen the Heart of Jesus, no longer knew how to
languish on earth. At this we are no more astonished
than at perceiving in all of you the same phenomenon,
namely, the Heart of Jesus inflaming yours. Of infinite
love must be said what is often remarked of human
1 Boll. Act. SS. Maii, torn. vi. p. 232.
2 Vie de Sainte Catherine de Genes, ch. ii., viL
3 Boll. Act. SS. Februar., torn. v. p. 330.
4 Boll. Act. SS. August., torn. v. 927.
140 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
love: "Love has but one word; and though constantly
uttering it, it never repeats itself." l But what does
astonish me, O holy lovers of Jesus, is your silence.
Why, though so inflamed with love for this Sacred
Heart, have you revealed its beauty to none? We seek
among you apostles and evangelists of the Heart of
Jesus, but we find only contemplatives, on fire, 'tis true,
but silent. Your silence we should be unable to ex.
plain; for from the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaks, had not one of you taught us the mysterious
reason.
Once St. Gertrude asked the beloved disciple St.
John why he, who first had the happiness of reposing
on the Saviour's breast, had taught us none of the
secrets of the Adorable Heart. St. John answered that
God had reserved to Himself to make them known in a
time of great coldness, and that He held back these
wonders to rekindle the flames of charity at a time
in which it would have grown cold and almost
extinct.2
This is the explanation of that aurora, at once so
luminous and so secret. The Heart of Jesus has never
ceased to be contemplated, adored, loved; never was it
not preached. Its devotion is transmitted from soul to
soul, from solitude to solitude. The more sensitive the
souls and the more lonely the retreat, the more inti-
mate and ardent, the sweeter is the devotion. But to
illustrate with souls even the most devoted to the Heart
of Jesus throws on it no ray of light. It comes not
forth from shadow. Several times the devotion seemed
on the point of bursting forth. But it did not, though
tUe. dawn went on increasing; the light became more
artstinct, the devotion more tender. The seventeenth
1 Lacordaire, Vie de Saint Dominique, ch. vi. : Institution du saint
Rosaire.
9 Revelations of Saint Gertrude, bk. III. ch. xvii.
Aurora of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. 141
century found all ready to hail it; but a single voice
was needed to call it forth.
Almighty God, indeed, would be able to satisfy
Himself with a single voice. But as the devotion
preceded by so long preparation was to spread through-
out the Church and preside for ages over the renewal
of fervor and piety, He resolved to confide this holy
deposit to a religious Order, a band of virgins scattered
over the face of the earth, who, inflamed by that burn-
ing Heart, would radiate its beams beyond the grates
of their cloistered homes.
As yet, as far as we know, no one has studied the
history of the Visitation from this point of view. No
one has shown that it was established for the Sacred
Heart; and we ourselves who have written its origin,
why may we not now confess that we did not then
know to what a degree the broad lines and least details
of that Institute relate to the Heart of Jesus? We shall
now fill up this void. After having seen devotion to
the Sacred Heart arise and spread throughout the
whole Church, we shall go back to gaze upon it as it
increases in beauty and brilliancy in the bosom of the
Visitation.
I42 Life of Saint Margaret Mary ACacoque.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE VISITATION ESTABLISHED TO BE THE SANC-
TUARY OF THE SACRED HEART.
" Inspice, et fac secundum exemplar quod tibi monstratum est."
" Look and make it according to the pattern that was shown thee." —
Exodus xxv.
" Arcam de lignis setirn compingue, et deaurabis earn auro mundis-
simo intus et foris; faciesque propitiatorium de auro mundissimo;
duosque cherubim expandentes alas, versis vultibus in propitiatorium."
" Thou shalt construct an ark of setim wood, covered with the purest
gold within and without; the propitiatory make also of the purest gold;
and there shall be two cherubim, spreading their wings, and their eyes
fixed on the propitiatory." — Ibid.
<^-
fDO not know," said St. Francis de Sales in his own
gracious style, " why they call me the founder,
for I have not done what I wished; in fact, I have
done iust what I did not wish." '
The Visitation, such as it came from the hands of St.
Francis de Sales in 1615, is indeed something very differ-
ent from what he had at first projected. Every step in
the organization of his work was marked by some ob-
stacle invincible and unforeseen, which forced him to
modify his plans, and sweetly impelled him to form his
religious in a mould quite contrary to his original
design.
He desired to make of them Marthas, and he made
Maries. He wished to throw them out into the active
life, and he led them into the contemplative. He
wished to send them into cities and villages, to seek
out the suffering — and behold, he hid them from all
eyes behind impenetrable bars! This Visitation, which
1 Esprit de Saint Frangois de Sales, Migne, torn. ii. p. 78.
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 143
was to resemble a hive whose bees were to carry the
honey of charity to all wounds of soul and body, was
suddenly closed. It enveloped itself in silence. No
longer an active hive, it became a sweet, recollected
sanctuary, altogether interior; something like that
which God demanded of Moses when He said to him:
" Thou shalt construct, according to the model that I
shall show thee, an ark of setim wood, covered with the
purest gold within and without ; with cherubim, their
wings spread and their eyes fixed on the propitiatory."
This is what St. Francis de Sales hardly thought to do,
and this is what the Visitation became — a silent arlf
lined with gold, the abode of prayerful cherubim.
But dare we say that in erecting the Visitation St.
Francis de Sales did not suspect what it was one day to
become? Is it certain that from this period he did not
organize it with the idea of the Sacred Heart in view,
and according to ^he model that had been mysteriously
shown him ?
On June 10, 161 1, he wrote to his holy co-operatrix:
"Good-morning, my dear Mother ! God gave me last
night the thought that our house of the Visitation is by
His grace noble and important enough to possess its coat-
of-arms, its escutcheon, its motto, and its legend. I think,
then, dear Mother, if you agree, that we shall take for our
coat-of-arms a heart pierced with two arrows, encircled
by a crown of thorns, and surmounted by a cross graven
with the sacred names of Jesus and Mary. My daugh-
ter, when next we meet I shall tell you a thousand little
thoughts that have occurred to me on this matter; for, in
truth, our little congregation is the work of Jesus and
Mary. The Saviour when dying generated us by the
opening of His Sacred Heart."
Thus wrote St. Francis on June 10, 161 1. Now, do
we know what this 10th of June was ? It was this year,
161 1, the first Friday after the octave of the Blessed
Sacrament ; that is, the very day chosen from all eter-
144 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
nity to be consecrated to the Sacred Heart ; the day of
which the Lord said sixty years after to Margaret
Mary : •' I desire that the Friday after the octave of the
Blessed Sacrament shall be a solemn feast throughout
the Church in honor of My Divine Heart." It was on
this selfsame day that St. Francis de Sales, ravished in
ecstasy, gave to his rising Institute for device and stand-
ard a heart crowned with thorns !
This certainly affords matter for reflection.
But what were these "thousand little thoughts" that
St. Francis had had on that ecstatic night, and that made
him wish so eagerly for morning, that he might com-
municate them to his holy co-operatrix ? In writing the
history of St. Chantal I asked myself this question. I
was then ignorant ; but now I know. A closer study of
the manuscripts of the Order has given me a deeper in-
sight into the most secret thoughts of the holy bishop
at the moment in which, his eye resting on the model,
he designed the plan of the Visitation. " This is the
model," he said to himself, " the Heart of Jesus !" And
when, his work finished, he lay in the silence of death,
St. Chantal, fearing that he had not been understood,
collected a thousand little secret, confidential papers,
received from him, and completed the revelation.
Let us dive into these details so marvellous and yet
so little known.
A century before opening his adorable breast and de-
claring to Margaret Mary that He wished to make the
daughters of the Visitation the depositaries of His
Heart, the Lord cast a look of love on him who was to
be the founder of the Institute, formed his heart on the
model of His own, and rendered it the meekest and
humblest of all hearts. " I do not know," says a certain
author, " whether there has ever been a saint that prac-
tised more excellently the lesson of the Saviour : ' Learn
of Me that I am meek and humble of heart V " l
1 See the " Heart of St. Francis de Sales:" One-and rhirtv Consid*
erations, published by the Visitation of Annecy, p. 35.
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 145
Some years after, God also prepared for foundress
the saint who, formed by St. Francis de Sales, became,
as she was pleased to call herself, " the child of the
Heart of Jesus," 1 and who was to practise in a high
degree, in the natural and supernatural greatness of her
strength, the virtues of meekness and humility. "It
was revealed to a soul eminently favored by God," re-
lates Mother de Chaugy, " that, when Jesus pronounced
this high lesson : ' Learn of Me that I am meek and
humble of heart,' ' He cast a look of love and predilection
on our holy Mother de Chantal." a
But it is especially during the years that the two
saints worked together to form the Visitation, that it is
sweet to study by what mysterious ways they were led to
dispose all things in order that this Institute, " founded
on the golden basis of meekness and humility,"3 might
become the sanctuary of the Sacred Heart.
At the moment of Mme. de Chantal's departure for
Annecy to begin the foundation of the Institute, St.
Francis de Sales wrote her a line to animate her cour-
age : " My advice, my daughter, is, that henceforth we
live no more in ourselves, but that in heart, intention,
and confidence we lodge forever in the pierced side of the
Saviour"
Again, on the eve of her entrance : " My daughter, I
must tell you that I have never seen so clearly how mucr
you are my daughter as now. But I say it as I see it
in the Heart of our Saviour.4 O my daughter, how I
desire that your life be hidden with Jesus Christ in God !
1,1 God, who has taken her, and made her the child of His Heart,
will have care of her." (Letter of Mother de Br6chard, Migne, p.
1007.)
2 See the " Heart of St. Jane de Chantal:" One-and-thirty Consid
erations, published by the Visitation of Annecy, p. 67.
3 Esprit de Saint Francois de Sales, Migne, torn. ii. p. 399.
4Lettre, April 24, 1610.
146 Life of Saint Margaret Mary A lac o que.
I am going to make a little prayer for this, in which I
shall implore the royal heart of the Saviour for ours." '
And to his daughters gathered around him in those
first sweet moments of the little " Gallery House" he
says : " The other day, considering in prayer the open
side of our Saviour, and gazing upon His Heart, I seemed
to see all our hearts around His, doing Him homage as
the Sovereign King of hearts."
Thus, in the far-off time, we behold the image under
which St. Francis loved to represent to himself his little
congregation, his daughters lodged in the Heart of Jesus,
or their hearts surrounding and rendering homage to
the Heart of Jesus. Some days later, when their first
home was disputed with the Sisters, St. Chantal and
her daughters remembered the true dwelling assigned
to them by their holy founder. "Who could have told
you," wrote the holy bishop, " that our good Sisters of
the Visitation have met with opposition to their locating
and building ? O my dear father, the Lord is the refuge
of their souls; so are they not too happy? And as our
good Mother (Mother de Chantal), although languish-
ing, yet vigorous, said to me yesterday : 'If the Sisters
of the Visitation are very humble and faithful to God,
they shall have the Heart of Jesus for a dwelling and
sojourn in this world.' " a
But let us continue. This little incident, though very
insignificant, becomes more definite and strikingly clear.
As the Heart of Jesus was to be the abode of the daugh-
ters of the Visitation, St. Francis de Sales exhausted all
his eloquence, all his piety, in showing them its beauty.
"O my daughter." he wrote to one of them, "if you
look at this Heart, so meek, so sweet, so condescending,
so loving toward miserable creatures, provided only
they recognize their misery ; so gracious toward the
unfortunate, so good to penitents ! Ah ! who would
1 Lettre, June 5, 1610.
2 Lettre a un eccl6siastique, September, 161 7.
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 147
not love this royal Heart so paternally maternal toward
us ?" 1 To another religious he wrote: " O my daughter,
put it — your dear heart — in the pierced side of the Saviour,
and unite it to the King of hearts, who is as on His royal
throne to receive the homage and obedience of all hearts,
and who holds the door open that all may approach for
an audience." 2 And to the venerable Mother de Cban-
tal, on the feast of St. Catharine of Siena: " O God !
my well-beloved daughter, apropos of our heart, may it
happen to us as to this saint: may the Saviour take our
heart and put His own in its place ! But should we not
rather render ours all His, absolutely His ? Yes, let Him
do it, this sweet Jesus ! I conjure Him by His own and
by the love that He incloses in it, which is the love of
loves ! But if He will not do it, (oh, but He will !) at
least let Him not prevent us from going to take His !"
And the amiable saint adds: " And if He were to open
our breast to place therein His own Heart, would we
not let Him do it?" 3
Thus it is not enough for St. Francis de Sales to lodge
his humble little Visitation in the Heart of Jesus. It is
this Sacred Heart that he now wishes to lodge in his
humble little Visitation. " And He [Jesus] cannot," he
says, " prevent our taking it from Him for that pur-
pose."
Farther on his words are still more clear, more pre-
cise: " My very dear daughter, are we not children,
adorers, and servants of the loving and paternal Heart
of our Saviour? Is it not on this foundation that we
have built our hopes ? He is our Master, our King, our
Father, our all. Let us but think of serving Him well,
and He will think of rewarding us well."4 And again,
in almost the same terms : " Do you not wish to be
1 Lettre, February 18, 1618.
8 143d Letter, no date.
8 Lettre, April 29, 1622.
4 Lettres, liv. iv. Letter 96, without date.
148 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
daughters, adorers, and servants of the loving Heart of
this Divine Saviour? Is it not on this burning furnace
of dilection that you have cast all your hopes ?" l " Unite
your heart by holy submission to the Heart of Jesus,
which, grafted on the Divinity, will be the root of the
tree of which you will form the branches."2 And finally
this word which threw light on all else, and which bap-
tized the Visitation by its true name : " The religious of
the Visitation who shall be so happy as to observe their
Rules well may truly bear the name of Evangelical
Daughters, established in these latter times to be the
imitators of the Heart of Jesus in meekness and humil-
ity, the basis and foundation of their Order. It will
give them the privilege and incomparable grace of bear-
ing the title of Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus." 3
Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ! This is the
name that St. Francis de Sales gave to his religious sixty
years before the revelation made to Margaret Mary. He
established them to be " the adorers of the Sacred
Heart," " the imitators of the Sacred Heart," " the
servants of the Sacred Heart." The Heart of Jesus will
be "their sojourn," " the root of the tree of which they
will be the branches," " the foundation of their hopes
and the cause of their being." "They were to take
from Jesus His Heart," and " to open their breast to
lodge Him therein," as in a sanctuary.
This is what the holy Bishop saw; and, carried out of
himself by such thoughts, he felt that something. great
was being prepared. " Believe me, my dear Mother,
God wishes I know not what great things from us."4
And to Mother Favre: " His all-powerful hand will make
1 " Abridgment of the Interior Spirit of the Religious of the Visita-
tion," explained by St. Francis de Sales, collected by Mgr. de Maupas,
ch. vi. (Rouen, 1644): De l'abandon a la Providence, p. 34.
9 lb., ch. ix. p. 53.
3 " Sentiments of St. Francis de Sales on the Sacred Heart," p. 194.
4 Lettre, February, 161 5.
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 149
of this little Institute more than men can imagine." '
Whilst contemplating these things, and beholding his
little Visitation " coming forth from the pierced side of
Jesus Christ," and called to the honor of being " the
sanctuary of His Adorable Heart;" like an eminent archi-
tect, who skilfully causes the general lines and the least
details to converge to the determined end, he organized
his whole Institute with a view to its marvellous mission.
The Visitation was, then, to become a contemplative
Order, and as such its whole plan is changed ! But
then " it is in the Heart of Jesus that it is to make this
continual contemplation." 2 St. Francis studied the
kind of prayer proper for the Visitation, the prayer of
simple attention, of simple remission and repose in God.
He wished this look to be fixed on the Sacred Heart;
and this repose, a sweet sleep " on that same well-
loved Heart." 3 Hear how he exalts this kind of prayer:
" O my daughters, it is much better to sleep on the sacred
breast of the Saviour than to watch elsewhere, wherever
else it may be." He made each of his daughters take
the following resolution: " I shall every day give a cer-
tain time to this sacred sleep, so that my soul in imita-
tion of the beloved disciple may sleep in all security on the
amiable breast, nay, in the loving Heart of the loving
Saviour." 4
"Our blessed Father," said St. Chantal, "who under-
stood excellently well all sorts of prayer, has always
approved of this [the prayer of simple regard]. He
said that, whilst others ate diverse viands at the Lord's
table, we ought to rest our soul and all our affections
on His loving breast." 6
1 Lettre, October, 1617.
2 "Interior Spirit of the Religious of the Visitation," by Mgr. de
Maupas, p. 19.
3 " Treatise of the Love of God," Migne, p. 664.
4 XXIII. Entertainment of St. Francis de Sales: "De la crucifixion
de Notre-Seigneur Jesus-Christ.'
6 Answer of St. Chantal on Article XXIV.
J 5° Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Not, of course, that in this contemplation you should
forget the neighbor. Oh, this dear neighbor ! You must
always think of him. But St. Francis de Sales wishes
that his daughters see him no more except in the Heart
of Jesus and as if through His sacred breast. " There,"
said he, "who would not love him? who would not bear
with his defects? Yes, he is there, this dear neighbor,
in the breast of the Saviour. He is there, so loved and
so amiable that the Lover dies of love of him." '
All the Rules of the Visitation proceed from the same
thought, and conduct to the same end. "I assure you,
my beloved daughters," says the saint, " you will capti-
vate the Heart of Jesus if you are faithful to the practice
of your Rules." 2
"O God !" he cries elsewhere, "how necessary it' is
that our poor heart should live no more but under
obedience to the Heart of Jesus ! And since this Sacred
Heart has no more affectionate law than meekness,
humility, and charity, we must perforce hold firmly to
these dear virtues." 3 He repeats on every key that all
the Rules converge to two points, humility and meek-
ness, and that he has expressly chosen these two virtues
because they are those of the Heart of Jesus. St. Chan-
tal speaks in the same way: " Inculcate to all your
daughters," she writes to a Superioress, " the practice
of these words of the Lord: ' Learn of Me that I am meek
and humble of heart' They are the substance, the life
of our holy vocation." 4
It was after organizing thus the interior of the sanc-
tuary, "after giving it for golden foundation, humility
and meekness," because these are the virtues of the
Heart of Jesus, that St. Francis de Sales, as if wishing
1 XII. Entertainment: " De la cordialite."
2 " History of the Gallery." See also, in the "Little Customs," the
Entertainment with Sister Claude Simplicienne.
3 " Life of the Venerable Mother Clement," published in 1685, p. 264.
4 Letter to Sister de Blonay, Migne, torn. ii. p. 1069.
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 151
to tear away the last veil and initiate the world itself
into the grand thought that ruled him finally realized
the project of which he had spoken to his saintly co-
operatrix, June 10, 161 1. He gave to his Institute as
coat-of-arms the Heart of Jesus crowned with thorns.
The religious wear it engraven on their pectoral cross.
It blazons at the head of all their writings, private or
public. It is used as a seal for their letters. They have
it sculptured on the exterior doors of their convents.1
He acted like a skilful architect who, after having con-
structed a palace, puts on the main door the escutcheon
of the noble lord who is. to reside therein.
All this, assuredly, is very striking, when we reflect
that every one of these facts is over sixty years prior to
the revelations of Margaret Mary. But what follows is
perhaps still more astonishing.
St. Francis de Sales was hardly dead when his saintly
and faithful co-operatrix, in a spirit of filial piety, col-
lected all the little papers, the most secret, most con-
fidential that she had received from her holy Father,
and directed them to the Order to be an eternal memo-
rial of him. " My very dear Sisters," said the venerable
foundress in the letter that forwarded them, " we cor-
dially address to you this writing, because it is taken
from the works of our blessed Father. I am particu-
larly pleased to send you several little collections that
we have found written by his dear and saintly hand.
They are his own thoughts, his own words; and in them
you will easily recognize his spirit. We have tried to
abridge them, and arrange the whole into meditations."
1 " The seal of all the monasteries shall be engraved with a heart, in
the middle of which there shall be the most holy name of Jesus and of
Mary together, surrounded by a crown of thorns, and transpierced by
two arrows, with a little cross, the lower end of which shall be in the
cavity of the heart, and the head within the crown. There shall be no
other form of seal in the house. The letters shall all be sealed with it."
(" Custom Book" of the Religious of the Visitation, compiled by St.
Chantal, p. 78.)
152 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
There are two series, called in the Order respectively
" the Great " and " the Little " Meditations. In the first
collection,1 signed by St. Chantal and bearing date of
July, 1637, there are some remarkable things; for ex-
ample, the eighteenth meditation: " By what means the
Religious Soul ravishes the Heart of her Beloved."
But it is the second collection, particularly, that is
astonishing from this stand-point.2 There is one medi-
tation on the subject that now occupies us, so clear, so
explicit, in which the saint calls his daughters to medi-
tate on the honor that God has done them in co?ifiding to
them His Heart. This meditation is in terms so precise
that we at first believed it written at a later date. It
appeared to us impossible that such a page could have
been extracted by St. Chantal from the papers of St.
Francis de Sales, unless both were prophets. We
yielded only when we had in our hands a copy pub-
lished undoubtedly during the life of St. Chantal and
more than sixty years before the apparition of the Lord
to Margaret Mary.3
1 Live + Jesus. " Meditations for the Annual Retreats," taken from
several collections by the hand of our holy Father. This collection is
prefaced by a letter of St. Chantal, and dated thus: " From this first
monastery of the Visitation of Holy Mary of Annecy, August 15, 1637,
begun under the triumphant protection of the Mother of God." One
vol. in white parchment. On the first page a silver heart in rays, in the
centre of the heart Christ's monogram, I. H.S., and below three nails.
This volume contains thirty-three meditations.
2 Live Hh Jesus. " Spiritual Exercises for a Ten Days' Solitude, ac-
cording to the spirit of St. Francis de Sales, taken for the greater part
from his writings." One vol., republished on white parchment, without
date or publisher's name. It comprises only ten meditations, one for
each day, but they are most beautiful.
3 What created the difficulty for us is that the second collection is not
dated; it does not even give the name of the publisher. But we could
not doubt the compilation was St. Chantal's. The traditions of the
Order, the preface, the Directory on page 16, the introduction of the
different parts, a multitude of counsels, of directions, which could come
only from the foundress, — all, even the style, the orthography, and
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 153
This is the meditation that St. Chantal herself copied
from several little collections found written by the holy
hand of our blessed Father, and which she recom-
mended to her daughters. Again I ask, is this a proph-
ecy? Is it mere chance? It is entitled " Eighth Medi-
tation: Of the Love that Jesus Christ Bears us."
After having made her dear daughters consider the
iove that Jesus Christ bore them, first, in the mystery of
the Incarnation; second, in that of the Eucharist; third,
in that of the Dolorous Passion, she comes to a fourth
consideration, altogether unique when we reflect upon
the date at which she wrote:
" Consideration IV.
" Consider that the sweet Saviour not only showed
His love for us, as well as for all other Christians, by the
work of our redemption; but that He obliges us espe-
cially, as daughters of the Visitation, by the gift and
favor that He has made to our Order and to each of us
in particular of His Heart, or rather of the virtues it
contains, since He has founded our most lovely Insti-
tute on these two precepts: Learn of Me that I am
meek and humble of heart. This is the portion of His
treasures that has fallen to us. Having given to other
that beautiful cover of white parchment, gave us the date of the compi-
lation and the certainty that it was St. Chantal's. But what we there
read was so important that we wished to have the material proof of it.
At Rouen first, then at Nantes, Boulogne, Dijon, wherever we went
we asked to see the oldest copies of the " Meditations for Retreats."
We found them bearing like the others no date, but an approbation of
the Doctors of the Sorbonne which was dated. Here it is: "We the
undersigned, Doctors of Theology of the Sacred Faculty of Paris,
approve, praise, and highly esteem this book of meditations for
retreats, etc., after the corrections and abridgments made by us, by
which we hope that the Lord will be blessed. Given this day, Feast of
St. John Evangelist, Dec. 27, 1643.'' Now, St. Chantal died in 1641,
and the corrections referred to a previous edition that we had had until
then in our possession. The proof could not be more complete.
154 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Orders, to one eminent prayer, to another solitude, to
another austerity, He bequeathed to us what, undoubt-
edly, He esteemed more dear, since His precious Heart
is its depository. Ah, could we but have this satisfac-
tion, could we learn and practise well the lesson that
this loving Saviour gives us, we should then be honored
in bearing the title of '■Daughters of the Heart of Jesus? '
Mother de Chantal then concludes with this cry of
gratitude and thanksgiving:
" It is very sweet, O my soul, that this gracious Jesus
has chosen us to make us the daughters of His Heart.
Why, O my Saviour, hast Thou not so favored others
in Thy Church ? What have we done for Thy Good-
ness to have from all eternity destined for us this treasure in
these last ages of the world 7"
In founding every religious Order, God ordinarily
opens to it a source of love for the interior aliment of
its divine life and the means of its apostolate. To one,
the cross and the rigors of penance; to another, the
desert and the invisible perfumes of contemplation; and
to a third, the love of souls and apostolic ardor. The
Visitation was to have its special portion, namely, the
sacred deposit of the Heart of Jesus. But who will not
be astonished, recognizing with what clearness, what
increasing precision St. Francis de Sales and St. Chan-
tal had, sixty years before, the intuitive perception of
it ? It was at first only a sign, a word, a vague linea-
ment: "The Heart of Jesus will be the refuge, the
sojourn of the daughters of the Visitation." The idea
becomes more distinct, better defined: " It is on the
Sacred Heart that the Visitation is founded." "The
Sacred Heart is the root that bears the Visitation."
Is this enough? No: the idea seems now to be endued
with life; it is warmed, it takes color as in a picture:
'.' The religious of the Visitation shall be the adorers of
the Sacred Heart." Again: "They shall be the ser-
vants of the Sacred Heart. Their spirit shall be the
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 155
imitation of the Sacred Heart; their arms, a heart
crowned with thorns; their title, ' Daughters of the
Heart of Jesus.' And to accomplish all this, their gift,
the privilege laid up for them from all eternity, and
which shall be theirs in the latter times, in preference
to all other religious Orders, will be the Heart of
Jesus." Behold the words of St. Francis de Sales
echoed by St. Chantal. Then both died, and half a
century passed before the humble yet illustrious virgin
appeared who was to give sense and meaning to their
words, who was to cast around their divine presenti-
ments the halo of prophecy.
We may, however, well believe that this half-century
did not roll round without the Visitation's turning its
eyes and its heart to the Heart of Jesus. St. Francis
de Sales had spoken too loudly, and hie words were too
tenderly meditated by his daughters, for his pious in-
spirations to be forgotten. Indeed, when one enters
the convents during those sixty years that separate us
from the first revelations made to Margaret Mary, we
perceive everywhere, not indeed public devotion, but
in a multitude of the religious eminent for piety, a de-
votion deep, tender, and heart-felt, neither public nor
propagated, but which God preserved by extraordinary
graces.
Let us quote some facts. At Annecy, for example,
Sister Anne-Marie Rosset went one day to the novitiate
oratory to kiss, according to her custom in passing, the
feet of a large crucifix still preserved there. " It seemed
to me," she said when relating the fact to the venerable
Mother de Chantal, " that my Jesus stooped toward me,
and that my lips, which were on the wound of His foot,
were suddenly removed to that of His side. My hea***
was so forcibly drawn into my Lord's that I cannot ex-
press what I experienced, nor what passed within me
during its passage into the Sacred Heart of Jesus."
156 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
This was in 1614, hardly four years after the foundation.4
A little later, in 1618, in the same convent of Annecy,
our old manuscripts show us Mother de la Roche teach-
ing the young novices to read in the Heart of Jesus
dying; 2 Mother de* Brechard incessantly studying this
Heart all luminous, in which, she said, the most simple
very quickly became the most learned;3 Mother Bally,
of whom it was said that between the Heart of Jesus
and her own there was room for nothing; * and, in fine,
so many others whom the Annecy Annals show us
holily enamored of the Heart of Jesus, at a time the
most remote from the establishment of its devotion.
At Melun, in 1636, the venerable Mother Clement,
being in prayer, was vouchsafed a privilege like to that
with which God honored St. Catharine of Siena. " II
seemed to me," she wrote, " that God took my heart out
of my breast, and put His own in its place; so that, as
it appeared to me, I had no other heart than that of
Jesus." Ravished thus into ecstasy, she saw her blessed
Father St. Francis de Sales making his sojourn in the
Sacred Heart of Jesus, and there receiving the inspira-
tion to erect an Order which would have only one end,
that of honoring the Divine Heart of Jesus. In another
ecstasy she saw the Blessed Virgin Mary drawing from
the pierced side of Jesus Christ and pouring over her
dear Visitation all the graces of which it had need to
fulfil its mission.6
At Turin, in 1635, an humble domestic Sister, Jeanne-
Benigne Gojos, received still more wonderful favors.
She spent her life in adoring and invoking the Heart of
Jesus in these words: " O Heart of Jesus, pardon the
1 Life of Mother Anne-Marie Rosset, by Mother de Chaugy.
* Annals of the Visitation of Annecy.
1 lb. Life of Mother de Brechard, by Mother de Chaugy.
4 Life of Mother Bally.
s Life of the Venerable Mother Anne-Marguerite Clement, etc
Paris, 1686, p. 109.
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 157
whole world and punish only Jeanne-Benigne ! Make
her bear all the chastisements due to the guilty world."
Rapt frequently into ecstasy, united in an ineffable
manner to the Heart of Jesus, sharing its sadness, and
inflamed with the desire of making it known and loved,
she foresaw in divine light the virgin of Paray, and
announced the great mission with which she would one
day be charged.1 At the same time, 1635, at Lyons,
Mother M. Genevieve de Pradel devoted herself in
quality of victim to the Heart of Jesus, " for which she
had all her life the most tender devotion," and from
which she drew strength that frequently raised her
to heroism.2 Shortly before, at Paris, 1627, Mme. de
Boutelier left the world where God had given her a
great name, a handsome fortune, children elevated to
the highest honors of Church and State, and a number
of charming grandchildren. She left all for the sole
reason that she was too happy, and that on account of
her great happiness she trembled for her eternal salva-
tion. She came to the Visitation, and there found her-
self still more happy. But why did she not tremble
there? "Ah!" said she, "it is that now I see myself
entirely hidden in the Heart of Jesus, and in it there is
no room for fear."
At Chartres, 1661, Sister Marie-Guillemette Dunas
made her ordinary residence in the wound of Jesus'
side. The Lord had taught her that there she would
be near His Heart, and that there she might await in
peace His judgment at the hour of death. The same
year, in the second convent of Lyons, they make men-
tion of a religious, Mother de Rioux, who lived only
for the Sacred Heart. She left some writings which
we have read, and which are embalmed with the most
tender and ardent devotion for the Heart of Jesus.0
1 " The Charm of Divine Love; or, Life of the Devout Sister Jeanne-
Benigne Gojos," p. 353.
s Annals of the Visitation of Lyons.
3 Archives of the Second Monastery of Lyons, MSS. of Mother r"
Rioux.
1 58 Life of Saint Margaret Mary A lac 0 que.
At Perigueux, in 1664, the feast of the Conception, a
pious and fervent religious, Marie-Pacifique Collet,
being in prayer, asked for purity of heart. " All at
once," said she, " God did me a favor of which it makes
me tremble to think. It seemed to me that our
Saviour told me to approach His Divine Heart, the
source of all purity. At the same instant, He appeared
to me, if I do not deceive myself, and made me repose
on His Sacred Heart." ' Shortly after, at Amiens,
Mother Anne-Seraphine Cornet felt an attraction to
consecrate herself to the Heart of Jesus. The manu-
script annals of the house have carefully noted that this
was " before knowing anything of the favors that
the saintly Sister Margaret Mary received from the
Lord;" and they enter into details that show Sister
Anne-Seraphine to be one of the most generous lovers
of the Heart of Jesus.2 We read the same of Mother
Marie-Seraphine de Gaillard, who passed from the
Order of Citeaux to the Visitation, from the school of
St. Bernard to that of St. Francis de Sales, and who has
left us some meditations redolent with the most ardent
devotion to the Heart of Jesus.3
How many names we could add to these! In almost
all the Visitation convents we find religious of high
sanctity favored with the most striking lights on the
Sacred Heart. But what is most astonishing is that
nowhere do we perceive the least temptation to propa-
gate the devotion. The worship is entirely private and
personal. We discover no exterior manifestation.
Not a single religious thinks of communicating it even
to the Sisters of her own convent; and, for still stronger
reasons, not one dreams of spreading it beyond the
grate. Here, as in the Middle Ages, the Heart of
Jesus has its adorers and lovers, but no evangelists or
apostles.
1 Life of Sister Marie-Pacifique Collet.
* Annals of the Visitation of Amiens.
* Annals of th^ Visitation of Aix-
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 159
In the list of the convents in which we have seen the
devotion to the Heart of Jesus flourishing in the seven-
teenth century, it may be surprising that we have not
cited Paray. But neither in its Annals, which we have
read carefully, nor in the lives of the religious, nor in
the archives, so rich and so well kept, is there one word,
one line relative to the Heart of Jesus. And what is
still more remarkable, Margaret Mary is not less than
her Sisters a stranger to this devotion. Read her
Memoire, study her first steps in the religious life, and
we find not the slightest allusion to it. She herself
declares that her eyes were never turned to the sacred
side until the day on which God, drawing aside the
veil, presented to her His Adorable Heart with the
injunction to make it known and adored by the whole
world.
This day is come. After having for six hundred
years embalmed the solitudes of the Church, it is time
for this mighty devotion to go forth, to quicken faith
and inflame hearts. The world had grown cold. Faith,
like love, had diminished. Minds were darkened, hearts
saddened. On the other hand, souls sensitive as those
that in the Middle Ages chose to shut themselves up in
cloisters are now multiplied in the world. The per-
fume has escaped from its vase. Its odor is every-
where: in the bosom of Christian families, and in recol-
lected hearts truly capable of understanding all that is
most exquisite in the mysteries of Christianity.
O Jesus! Jesus! The Church and the world claim
Thy Heart. Some detached sparks from this burning
flame will not suffice us. The furnace itself is what we
want. The virgin is ready, likewise the sanctuary. Holy
angels who guard our soul, lead to the altar the faith-
ful virgin, and by her, through her purified hands, send
forth over the face of the earth the fire that warms,
renews, and vivifies!
Go Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
CHAPTER IX.
THE REVELATIONS OF THE SACRED HEART.
1673-1675.
"Si scires donum Dei."
"If thou didst know the gift of God!" — St. John iv. 10.
" Eo u.sque procedens ut ipsius recumberet pectore Salvatoris. "
" She mounted up and reposed on the breast of the Saviour Himself."
— Leonine Sacramentary , Pre/, of the Mass of St. John.
" Beatus qui supra pectus Domini recubuit! Fluenta Evangelii de
ipso sacro Dominici pectoris fonte potavit."
" Blessed is he who has leaned on the breast of the Lord! He drew
from the sacred fountain of the Saviour's Heart the living waters of
the Gospel. " — Rom. Brev. , Feast oj St. John.
kjffiTE must recall what has been said in the fifth
chapter of this Life. What most astonished the
Sisters of Paray on examining the life of Mar-
garet Mary is the length and ecstatic character of her
prayer. On certain days, for example, when the
Blessed Sacrament was exposed, she never left the
choir. Feeble in health, and sometimes even rising
from sickness, she remained entire hours motionless on
her knees, without support, her hands joined, her eyes
lowered. To her devotions of. the day she began,
toward the end of 1673, to add prayers during the
night. We have seen that, particularly during the
night between Holy Thursday and Friday, she remained
twelve consecutive hours on her knees, so absorbed
that she heard nothing of what passed around her.
The Sisters, not knowing how to describe such a state,
compared her to a statue of marble, and called her an
" ecstatic." Frequently she came from prayer flushed
and trembling, unable to stand, and ready to faint.
Courtyard in which the Sacred Heart of Jesus surrounded by
Seraphim appeared to St. Margaret Mary.
The Revelations of the Sacred Heart. 1 6 1
Three or four times, even, it was necessary to carry her
swooning under the assaults o ' a love too strong for
mortal to bear.
It was under such circumstances, and during such
ecstatic prayers, that, unsuspected by the Community,
took place the grand revelations of the Sacred Heart.
We say revelations; for there were three of them, three
and distinct, with several months intervening between
them. The first was on December 27, 1673, when Mar-
garet Mary was twenty-six years of age and had been
professed only a little over a year. The second was in the
following year, 1674. Of the precise day we are ignorant
The Blessed Sacrament was exposed in the chapel;
and, from the customs of the time, we may conjecture
that it was during the octave of Corpus Christi. The
third took place June 16, 1675, on a day °f tne same
octave. There was, then, between these apparitions a
very considerable interval — some months between the
first and the second, and one year at least between the
second and the third. This was not too much. Mar-
garet had time to recover from the state of emotion
consequent upon each of these apparitions; for her
agitation and weakness were such that, once in partic-
ular, it was thought she would die.
When we consider these three apparitions in their
entirety from another point of view, we are struck by
their order, their gradation, their increasing beauty.
It is like a drama in three acts, in which God raised
little by little the mind of His servant to the full under-
standing of the mission that He was so unexpectedly
about to confide to her.
For the rest, we have an irrefragable witness of the
apparitions — Margaret Mary herself. Obliged by her
Superiors to put the recital of these marvels into writ-
ing, she did it watering the paper with her tears; and
when it was returned to her she threw it in the fire.
Only a single one of those copy-books remains; and
1 62 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
there is in it a tone of humility so sincere, a frankness
so true, forgetfulness of self so great, and traces of
emotion so deep, that, even were the Church not con-
vinced of the truth of the apparitions, it would be im-
possible to doubt them after listening to Margaret
Mary's accents whilst relating them.
" It is for Thy love alone, O my God," she began,
" that I submit to write this in obedience, and I ask Thy
pardon for the resistance I have made. But as no one
except Thyself can know the extent of the repugnance
that I feel, so it is only Thou that canst give me the
strength to overcome it." Then she added these ad-
mirable words: " I receive this order as coming from
Thee; and by its fulfilment I wish to punish the excessive
joy and precaution that I have taken to follow the great in-
clination that I have always had to bury myself in eternal
oblivion of creatures. O my Sovereign Good, may I write
nothing but for Thy greater glory and my still greater
confusion!" •
She then took her pen and began her recital. But
soon she stopped dumfounded, speechless, confused,
utterly unable to overcome her repugnance. " O my
Lord and my God, who alone knowest the pain that I
suffer in fulfilling this obedience and the violence that I
must do myself to overcome the repugnance and con-
fusion that I feel in writing all this, grant me grace to
die rather than put down anything but what springs
from Thy Spirit of truth, and which will give Thee
glory and me confusion. In mercy, O my Sovereign
Good, let it never be seen by any one excepting by him
whom Thou wishest to examine it, so that this writing
?nay not prevent my remaining buried in eternal conte?npt and
forgetfulness of creatures. O my God, give this consola-
tion to Thy poor miserable slave."2
A little farther on, having resumed her recital, and
again crushed by the work, we read: " I proceed through
1 Memoire, p. 289. 2 lb. p. 344.
The Revelations of the Sacred Heart. 163
obedience, O my God, without any other design than
that of satisfying Thee by the martyrdom which I suffer
in penning these lines, every word of which seems to
me a sacrifice. But mayest Thou be glorified by it
eternally!".
The same plaintive tone is heard throughout her
Memoire; the same contest is witnessed between humil-
ity and obedience. At one instant humility lays down
the pen; at the next obedience makes her take it up. It
was thus that was finished, in an incomparable glory of
sanctity, the recital of the three revelations relative to
the Heart of Jesus. We shall now make them known in
Margaret Mary's own words. The Church has studied
the triple recital with the severity she always brings to
this kind of examination, and has solemnly declared
their authenticity.
First Revelation.
December 27, 1673.
The first of the three revelations took place, no one can
doubt, on the feast of St. John the Evangelist, Decem-
ber 27, 1673. It was the same day on which, three hun-
dred and fifty-three years before, St. Gertrude had
learned in a vision that if the well-beloved disciple had
said nothing of the sacred pulsations of the Sacred
Heart, it was because God reserved to Himself to speak
of them at a time in which the world would begin to
grow cold. The day could not have been better chosen
for this revelation. We have the account of it written
by Margaret Mary. She gives us the whole scene to
the life.
" Once," said she, "being before the Blessed Sacra-
ment and having a little more leisure than usual, I felt
wholly filled with this Divine Presence, and so power-
fully moved by it that I forgot myself and the place in
which I was. I abandoned myself to this Divine Spirit,
and yielded my heart to the power of His love. He
* 64 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
made me rest for a long time on His divine breast, where
He discovered to me the wonders of His love and the
inexplicable secrets of His Sacred Heart, which He had
hitherto kept hidden from me. Now He opened it to me for
the first time, but in a way so real, so sensible, that it left
me no room to doubt, though I am always in dread of
deceiving myself." x
We see it was " the first time " that the Lord showed
His Heart to Margaret; until then " He had always kept
it hidden." And such is the character of this apparition,
and the impression that she receives from it, that the
humble virgin, ordinarily so timid, so distrustful of self,
"could conceive no doubt of it."
Jesus had then spoken; and "This," adds Margaret,
"as it seems to me, is what passed: The Lord said to
me, ' My Divine Heart is so passionately in love with
men that it can no longer contain within itself the flames
of its ardent charity. It must pour them out by thy
means, and manifest itself to them to enrich them with
its precious treasures, which contain all the graces of
which they have need to be saved from perdition.' He
added: ' I have chosen thee as an abyss of unworthiness
and ignorance to accomplish so great a design, so that
all may be done by Me.' "
Thus, according to the conditions of this first revela-
tion, the new devotion was going to be the grand effort
of the Heart of Jesus, " passionately in love with men,"
and wishing at any cost to draw them from the abyss of
perdition. Until then ordinary means had sufficed.
But in the sad state in which the world was, Jesus could
no longer " contain the flames of this burning charity
in His Heart," which wished to save all men. His pierced
side opened, and His Heart longed to come forth. It
had as yet only shown itself in cloisters and to chosen
souls, and in showing it to them had made them faint
from love. But now it wished to show itself to the
1 M6moire, p. 325.
The Revelations of the Sacred Heart 165
multitude, and tiy whether, in revealing the hidden
secrets of love, it might succeed in melting the ice that
was being heaped up in the midst of Christian people.
Such was the sense of the first apparition.
Jesus said nothing else to Margaret Mary, excepting
that, for the accomplishment of His design, He made use
of her; not in spite of her weakness and ignorance, but
rather on account of them, that all should be done by
Himself, But when ? how ? in what manner ? The
Lord did not say, and Margaret Mary had neither the
thought nor the strength to ask Him.
Since, however, there was question of a public min-
istry, the Lord desired to leave her a living and unques-
tionable proof of the truth of what had just passed.
Before disappearing, He asked if she desired to give
Him her heart. But let her speak for herself:
" He demanded my heart, and I supplicated Him to
take it. He did so, and put it into His own Adorable
Heart, in which He allowed me to see it as a little atom
being consumed in that fiery furnace. Then, drawing
it out like a burning flame in the form of a heart, He
put it into the place whence He had taken it, saying:
' Behold, My beloved, a precious proof of My love. I
inclose in thy heart a little spark of the most ardent
flame of My love, to serve thee as a heart and to con-
sume thee till thy last moment.' He added: ' Until now
thou hast taken only the name of My slave; henceforth
thou shalt be called the well-beloved disciple of My
Sacred Heart."'1
One can easily imagine what effect might be produced
by such a favor in a creature already wholly inflamed
with divine love. "After so great a grace," said she,
"one that lasted so long and during which I knew not
whether I was in heaven or on earth, I remained several
days wholly inflamed, wholly inebriated. I was so out
of myself that it was only by doing violence to myself *
1 Memoire, p. 326.
1 66 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
eould utter a word. I was obliged to make so great an
effort to eat and recreate that my strength was exhausted
in ray endeavor to endure my suffering." 1
Again was she led to Mother Saumaise, but she could
scarcely pronounce one word. " I experienced," she
said, " so great a plenitude of God that I was not able
to express myself to my Superioress as I wished." As
to her Sisters, she experienced only one temptation;
namely, to throw herself at their feet and confess to
them her sins. u It would have been a great consolation
to me," she says, " to have made my general confession
aloud in the refectory, that my Sisters might see the
depth of my corruption; for then they would attribute
to me none of the graces I received." 2
Besides this sentiment of profound humility, the first
fruit of the luminous apparition, a sentiment that must
necessarily be conceived by one that has rested on the
breast of the Saviour (for astonishment, admiration, and
love create humility), Margaret preserved a memento,
or rather an ineffaceable mark, of divine love. She did
not bear it visibly on her breast, like St. Francis of Assisi
or St. Catharine of Siena, but all her life she retained
an invisible wound in her side. " The pain of this
wound," she said, " is so precious to me, causes me
transports so lively, that it burns me alive, it consumes
me."3 This divine memorial did not grow faint with
time, for the Lord renewed it every first Friday of the
month, and again showed her His Heart. " The Sacred
Heart," she said, "is shown me as a sun brilliant with
sparkling light, whose burning rays fall direct on my
heart. I then feel myself inflamed with such a fire that
it seems about to reduce me to ashes." 4
Such was the first act of this triple revelation of the
Sacred Heart. One sees as yet only the principle and,
as it were, the inspiration of this new devotion; but in
what touching beauty ! A God forgotten by men, and
1 Memoire, p. 326. 2 lb. b lb. p. 327. 4 lb.
The Revelations of the Sacred Heart. 167
unable to resign Himself to such forgetfulness; despised
by man, and wishing to punish him; hearkening to His
anger, endeavoring to silence the voice of His love, and
yet not succeeding; unable to contain within Himself
the flames of His ardent charity, and yet not able to
chastise His ungrateful creatures, He resolved to van-
quish them by force of tenderness, and for this end
daily inventing new and most divine contrivances of love!
After the splendors and benefits of creation came the
annihilations of the crib. The crib is followed by the
sorrows of the Cross; the Cross, by the Holy Eucharist !
Is there anything left? Yes; for we now behold the
supreme effort, of the Sacred Heart ! It is always the
same law. Every new evidence of coldness on the part
of man causes God to descend a degree in order to
touch the heart from which He cannot succeed in detach-
ing Himself.
The day following this lively and ineffaceable appari-
tion, in which Margaret Mary had learned two things, —
the first, that God could not contain in His Heart the
secrets of His love; the second, that He would make
use of her to reveal them to the world, — the life of our
saint resumed its accustomed course. Very nearly six
months were granted her to recover from the profound
impression just received, — and she had much need of
them. Six months of peace, recollection, silence, brill-
iant progress in humility and the love of God! Ana
now, at the moment she least expected, comes the
second revelation! More penetrating, more luminous
than the first, it made a still deeper impression on her
soul. She fell ill from the violent emotion it caused; so
ill that all thought she must die.
Second Revelation.
1674.
This second revelation is the only one of which we
know not the exact date. It certainly took place in
1 68 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
1674, before the arrival at Paray of Father dela. Colom-
biere, who came in the autumn of this year. As the
Blessed Sacrament was exposed, it could not be, accord-
ing to the custom cf the times, other than the feast of
the Visitation, or during the octave of Corpus Christi.
On the other hand, it seems to follow from Margaret's
account that it was on Friday, and the first Friday of
the month. We thirk, therefore, that it was in the be-
ginning of June, and the Friday in the octave of Cor
pus^Christi.
Let us iiear the Sister's recital: " Once when th£
Blessed Sacrament was exposed, my soul being ab.
sorbed in extraordinary recollection, Jesus Christ, my
sweet Master, presented Himself to me. He was brill-
iant with glory; His five wounds shone like five suns
Flames darted forth from all parts of His sacred hu-
manity, but especially from His adorable breast, which
resembled a furnace, and which, opening, displa3^ed to
me His loving and amiable Heart, the living source of
these flames." '
In recounting the first apparition, Margaret Mary had
not described the adorable person of the Lord, because,
probably, it had not the same glorious character as this
one. It was a less royal, perhaps a more intimate, com-
munication. " He made me," she says in speaking of
the first, " rest a long time on His breast," which it
might seem would agree not well with the splendors,
the flames that enveloped Jesus in the second appari-
tion. However, this difference in form corresponds to
the difference of spirit in which they were made. Till
that hour Jesus was the Friend, the Father, making a
tender effort to save His children. Now He is the out-
raged Spouse, the unacknowledged King about to de-
mand reparation. Whilst Margaret, trembling with
emotion, was contemplating Him, " He unfolded to me,"
she says, " the inexplicable wonders of His pure love,
1 Memoire, p. 327.
The Revelations of^the Sacred Heart. 169
«
and to what an excess He had carried it for the love of
men, from whom He had received only ingratitude.
' This is,' He said, ' much more painful to Me than all I
suffered in My Passion. If men rendered Me some re-
turn of love, I should esteem little all I have done for
them, and should wish, if such could be, to suffer it over
again; but they meet My eager love with coldness and
rebuffs. Do you, at least,' said He in conclusion, ' con-
sole and rejoice Me, by supplying as much as you can
for their ingratitude.' " 1
After having shown in the first revelation the true
principle of the new devotion, namely, a love whose
flames He could no longer confine in His Heart, Jesus
now revealed its character. This devotion would be an
amende honorable and an expiation for all the crimes of
the world, a consolation for His forsaken Heart. He
appealed to some chosen souls to come and supply at
the foot of the altars for those that do not love Him;
and, by their love and adoration, to render the homage
He no longer receives from the multitude grown cold
and indifferent. " Do thou, at least," and in speaking
thus the Lord addressed Himself to all pious souls,
"give Me the consolation of beholding thee supplying
for their ingratitude, as far as thou canst."
Margaret excused herself on the plea of incapacity.
"Fear not," said Jesus; " behold, here is wherewith to
furnish all that is wanting to thee." " And at that
moment," continued Margaret, " the Divine Heart being
opened, there shot forth a flame so ardent that I thought
i should be consumed by it." Admirable symbol of
what this new devotion was going to become in the
Church, of that universal re-warming of hearts of which
we shall try later to trace the consoling picture!
Thoroughly penetrated with this burning flame, and
unable longer to endure the fire, Margaret implored our
Saviour to have pity on her weakness. " Fear nothing,"
1 M6moire, p. 327.
i.7° Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
said He to her; " I shall be thy strength. Listen only
to what I desire of thee to prepare thee for the accom-
plishment of My designs." Then the Lord asked two
things of her: the first, to communicate every first Fri-
day of each month to make Him the amende honorable;
the second, to rise between eleven o'clock and midnight
on the night between Thursday and Friday of every
week, and to prostrate for an hour with her face to the
ground, in expiation of the sins of men, and to console
His Heart for that general desertion, to which the weak-
ness of the apostles in the Garden of Olives had been
only a slight prelude.
" During all this time," says Margaret Mary, " I was
unconscious, I knew not where I was. Some of the
Sisters came to take me away, and, seeing that I could
neither reply nor support myself on my feet, they led
me to our Mother, who found me quite out of myself,
trembling and as if on fire." When Margaret Mary told
her what had just taken place, whether she believed or
not, or whether she feigned not to believe it, Mother de
Saumaise humbled her as deeply as she could — " which
gave me extreme pleasure, caused me inconceivable
joy," says Margaret Mary; " for I felt myself such a crim-
inal, I was filled with such confusion, that, however
rigorous might be the treatment bestowed upon me, it
would still have seemed to me too lenient." x
" The fire that devoured me," continues Margaret
Mary in a style that grows eloquent with the subject,
" brought on continual fever; but I rejoiced too much in
suffering to complain of it. I never spoke of it but
when my strength was completely gone. Never have I
felt so much consolation. My whole body was racked
by extreme pain, and this relieved a little the parching
thirst I felt to suffer. This devouring fire could neither
be fed nor satisfied but with the wood of the cross;
namely, with contempt of all kinds, humiliations, and
1 Memoire, p. 328.
The Revelations of the Sacred Heart. 1 7 1
pains. Never was my bodily suffering equal to what I
experienced from not suffering enough. The Sisters
thought I would surely die."
Dr. Billiet, the attendant physician, declared that
Saint Margaret Mary had sixty consecutive fevers
that resisted every remedy employed to moderate their
ardor. Mother de Saumaise, very much perplexed, at
last resorted to the following expedient. She ap-
proached the bed of the apparently dying Sister, and
commanded her in the name of obedience to ask her
restoration of God, adding that she would recognize it
as a sign of the supernatural character of all that had
taken place in her regard. She would then, she said,
permit her to make the Communion of the first Friday
of every month, and the hour's prayer during the night
between Thursday and Friday. Margaret experienced
strong repugnance to asking a termination of her suf-
ferings, fearing, she said, " to be heard." But at the
word obedience, she no longer hesitated. Scarcely had
she uttered a short prayer before her fever fell, her
pulse beat less rapidly, and the astonished physician
pronounced her cured. There was, however, little need
for the doctor to make this assertion, for the saint
arose; and from that day the Sisters remarked a total
change in her health. Mother de Saumaise did not re-
sist the voice of God. She granted Margaret Mary the
permission to communicate the first Friday of the
month, and for the future to rise on the night between
Thursday and Friday.
Meanwhile Mother de Saumaise became more and
more embarrassed. This cure, which looked like a
miracle and which perhaps was one, caused her to
reflect most seriously on the propriety of acknowl-
edging the incontestable sanctity of Sister Margaret.
But, on the other hand, Margaret was very young,
hardly six-and-twenty, and counted but two years of
religious life. The visions that she related were, more-
I72 -Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
over, very extraordinary. Was not some illusion to be
feared ? Finally, Mother de Saumaise resolved to con-
sult others; and breaking silence for the first time, she
conferred on the subject with some religious whose
names we do not know — " learned people," say our
old Memoires. But whether Margaret, so timid and so
humble, was herself not understood, or whether the
advisers of Mother de Saumaise entertained certain
prejudices on the score of supernatural manifestations,
a thing not unfrequent even among priests and pious
religious, her conferences led to the conclusion that in
Margaret Mary's case there was much imagination, a
little natural temperament, and perhaps even some illu-
sion of the evil spirit, so skilfully disguised that the
good Sister could not perceive it.
The perplexity of Margaret's judges was thus increased
instead of diminished. Condemned by her Superiors
and confessors, the poor Sister knew not which way to
turn. " I made," said she, " every effort to resist my
interior attractions, believing that I was assuredly in
error. But I could not succeed. I no longer doubted
that I was abandoned, since I was told that it was not
the Spirit of God that governed me; and yet it was
impossible for me to resist the Spirit that moved me."1
One day, when drooping under the weight of this con-
tinued anxiety, and pouring out her plaintive wail at
the feet of her Lord, she seemed to hear a voice saying
to her: " Have patience, and await My servant." She
knew not what the words meant, but they poured a little
balm into her soul, and she felt that God would come
to her assistance in His own good time.2
Things were in this state when Mother de Saumaise
announced to her Community one day that a pious con-
ference would be given them by a religious of the Society
of Jesus who had just arrived at Paray, and who had the
reputation of speaking eloquently of the things of God.
1 Contemp., p. 81. 9 Memoire, p. 345.
The Revelations of the Sacred Heart. 1 73
His name was Father de la Colombiere. We are aston-
ished that a man who, in spite of his youth, was already
so celebrated, and who from his entrance into the
Society had given promise of attaining high renown,
should be sent to so small a place as Paray. We read
in the sequel the divine purpose of this sending. Father
de la Colombiere came in time for the greatest perplex-
ities (for it was very likely the morrow of the second
revelation, so badly understood by " the learned people"
of Paray, and the eve of the third and last, the most
important of all). He was going, in few words, to evoke
light in the midst of darkness.
Sister Margaret Mary went with the other Sisters to
the conference, Father de la Colombiere's name not
having made upon her the slightest impression. But
he had hardly opened his lips when she distinctly heard
these words: " Behold him whom I send to thee."
Accustomed to await God's moments without antici-
pating them, scarcely had she rested her eyes on the
Father when she remitted to God, who had sent him,
the care of making her known to him.
The Ember days came. Father de la Colombiere
having been deputed to hear the confessions of the
Community, Margaret Mary remarked that, although
he had never seen her, yet he spoke as if he knew what
was passing in her soul. He detained her a long time,
and even offered to see her again the next day, in order
to receive a thorough manifestation of her interior state.
These advances could not come more opportunely.
But Margaret did not wish to open her heart to him;
ind as to the second proposition, she replied humbly
and timidly that she would do what obedience ordered
her.
Very probably it was the venerable Mother de Sau-
maise who had spoken to Father de la Colombiere of
Margaret's state, that she might be able to add the opin-
ion and advice of a pious and eloquent man to those
174 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoqu?.
that she already had: though perhaps it was God Him>
self who had thus enlightened His servant, that He might
extend to His faithful spouse the direction of which she
had so great need. Be this as it may, a few days later
the Father returned and asked for Sister Margaret
Mary. " Although I knew," said she, " that it was the
will of God for me to speak to him, yet I felt extreme
repugnance to answering his summons." Her repug-
nance, however, lasted but a moment. Gained by the
piety and sweetness of the holy religious, and interiorly
excited by grace, Margaret Mary confided to him the
secrets of her heart. The interview was long, and Sister
Margaret Mary came forth from it enlightened and con-
soled. " He assured me," she said, " that there was
nothing to be feared in the guidance of this Spirit, inas-
much as it did not withdraw me from obedience; that I
ought to follow its movements, and abandon my whole
being to it, to be sacrificed and immolated according to
its good pleasure. He admired the great goodness of
our God in not withdrawing His favors in the face of so
much resistance, taught me to esteem the gifts of God,
and to receive with respect and humility the frequent
communications and familiar entertainments with which
He favored me. The Father added that my thanks-
giving for so great goodness ought to be continual.
When I had told him that my soul was pursued so
closely by the Sovereign Goodness without regard to
time or place, that I could not pray vocally without
doing myself violence so great that I sometimes re-
mained with my mouth open unable to pronounce a
word, and that this happened particularly whilst saying
the Rosary, he told me to make such efforts no more,
and to confine myself to my vocal prayers of obligation.
When I told him something of the special caresses and
loving union of soul I received from my Well-beloved,
and which I cannot describe here, he replied that I had
The Revelations of the Sacred Heart. 175
great reason to humble myself, and to admire with him
the wonderful mercy of God in my regard." 1
We have quoted this entire page, because in very
brief form it contains true light. There is something
elevated, sensible, sweet, and pious in it. It is, besides,
the great word of Father de la Colombiere. He did,
undoubtedly, utter many others. He preached long, he
made known God's truth in France and England. But,
notwithstanding all this, he was most probably created,
led from afar, divinely prepared by a chain of hidden
marvels expressly to speak this word. That done, he
retires, his mission finished. He had played his part.
Assuredly there is none either more glorious or more
useful; for in enlightening one such soul he has enlight-
ened millions. He contributed largely to the good of
the Church by giving her bark tossed by a frightful
tempest the stroke of the oar that was to enable her to
clear rugged obstacles. But Father de la Colombiere
did not retire and leave his work unfinished. We shall
see him again at the decisive moment of the third reve-
lation, when he will once more sustain and enlighten
the Sister. He will study seriously this last and highest
manifestation of God's will, after which he will be the
first to prostrate with our saint and consecrate himself
to the Sacred Heart.
Third and Last Revelation.
June 16, 1675.
It was on June 16, 1675, that the last of the grand reve-
lations relative to the Sacred Heart took place. It was
to close the cycle of those solemn disclosures. Until then
the humble virgin had received from the Lord only per-
sonal favors, very like those with which other holy souls
had already been favored. He had only demanded of
her some individual practices of devotion. Now, how-
1 Memoire. p. 346.
176 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
ever, the hour was come for Him to invest her with her
grand, public mission.
During the octave of the feast of the Blessed Sacra-
ment, June 16, 1675, Margaret Mary was on her knees
before the choir-grate, her eyes fixed on the tabernacle.
She had just received " some of the unmeasured graces
of His love." We have no particulars of these graces.
Suddenly the Lord appeared on the altar and discovered
to her His Heart.
" Behold," said He to her, "this Heart which has so
loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhaust-
ing and consuming itself, in order to testify its love.
In return, I receive from the greater part only ingrat-
itude, by their irreverence and sacrilege, and by the
coldness and contempt they have for Me in this sacra-
ment of love. And what is most painful to Me,"
added the Saviour, in a tone that went to the Sis-
ter's heart, " is that they are hearts consecrated to Me."
Then He commanded her to have established in the
Church a particular feast to honor His Sacred Heart.
" It is for this reason I ask thee that the first Friday
after the octave of the Blessed Sacrament be appro-
priated to a special feast, to honor My Heart by com-
municating on that day, and making reparation for
the indignity that it has received. And I promise that
My Heart shall dilate to pour out abundantly the in-
fluences of its love on all that will render it this honor
or procure its being rendered."1
This was the last revelation, and the most celebrated
of all. Justly the most celebrated, for all that regards
the Divine Heart of Jesus is contained in it. Its prin-
ciple is no other than the overflowing love of God, love
making a grand effort to overcome evil; its end, to be-
come a public devotion, having been so long a private
one; and, lastly, its effects, a new effusion of divine love
1 Memoirev p. 355.
The Revelations of the Sacred Heart, 177
on the Church, and more particularly on the pious souls
that become its apostles and propagators.
But whether the Lord, to leave her the full use of her
natural faculties at a moment so serious, had concealed
a little the splendor of His divine presence, or whether
Margaret Mary, reassured by Father de la Colombiere,
had banished all fear and abandoned her soul entirely
to the happiness of contemplating her Divine Master,
we do not know. But at the close of this third revela-
tion no trace of the violent emotion that had followed
the first two was perceived. The humble virgin is
recollected, attentive, happy. Although astonished at
such a mission, (for who was she to establish a feast in
the Church, she who could not succeed in convincing
her Superiors?) but one word escaped her: "Lord, how
can I ?" To which the Lord answered by telling her to
address herself to that servant of God who had been
sent to her " expressly for the accomplishment of this
design." '
Margaret Mary did, indeed, recur to Father de la
Colombiere, and confide to him this third revelation.
The venerable priest asked for a written account of it,
that he might be able to study it at leisure. We shall
see later on with what religious respect he preserved
the document. He examined the revelation attentively
before God, and, enlightened from on high, declared to
Margaret that she could rely on it, for without doubt it
came from Heaven. Thus reassured, Margaret Mary
no longer hesitated. She knelt before the Divine Heart
of Jesus, solemnly consecrated herself to it, and thus ren-
dered it the first and one of the purest acts of homage
that it was ever to receive on earth or in heaven. Father
de la Colombiere, wishing to unite with her, also con-
secrated himself to the Heart of Jesus. It was Friday,
June 21st, the day after the octave of the Blessed Sacra-
ment; the day that had been designated by the Lord to
1 Memoire, p. 355.
178 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
be forever the feast-day of His Adorable Heart. Thus
He received, in the person of a holy priest and of an
humble virgin, the first-fruits of those acts of adoration
soon to be rendered Him by all mankind.
Thus ended this glorious drama, at the same time
three and one, of the revelations of the Sacred Heart.
Thus was successively developed, in profound and mys-
terious order, that incomparable vision vouchsafed to one
of the most humble of virgins. And that which in silence
and ecstasy she had three times consecutively beheld in
that chapel, through that grate, on that altar, the Church
also was going to see. She examined this testimony,
this recital, forced by obedience from the saint's touch-
ing modesty; she declared them true and authentic;
and, following the example of the humble virgin, she
prostrated before the Sacred Heart.
What the Lord asked has been done. The faithful
flock from all quarters on the first Friday of every
month to kneel before the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and
to make reparation for the incomprehensible ingratitude
of creatures whom He has passionately loved. In every
region, also, are found Christians — wives, mothers,
younggirls, priests and virgins consecrated to God — who
rise in the night between Thursday and Friday, who
come to watch with Him, to weep with Him, and some-
times even to impress on their flesh the sacred marks
of His Passion. Everywhere, in fine, throughout the
Catholic Church, the Friday following the octave of the
Blessed Sacrament is a solemnity consecrated to the
contemplation of the tenderness, the devotedness of the
best of all hearts.
But let us continue our recital. As yet only one part
of our Saviour's will on this august subject is known to
us. We shall see others appear, and we shall behold
their realization. Time is undoubtedly necessary. It
is necessary also to the sun on a hazy autumn day for
it to pierce the fog that obscures the horizon; but
The Revelations of the Sacred Heart. 1 79
though slow to appear, its sweet light is none the less
loved or desired. So it is, likewise, with the Adorable
Heart of Jesus in our own sad times. It is but two
centuries since it appeared on the horizon. Let us not
complain. Already the greater part of the clouds are
dissipated. The hour is approaching in which it will
illumine the heavens and rejuvenate the earth.
8o Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
CHAPTER X.
ALMIGHTY GOD PREPARES THE CONVENT OF PARAY
TO BECOME THE SANCTUARY OF THE SACRED
HEART.
1675-1678.
" Sanctificamini ; eras enim faciet Dominus inter vos mirabilia."
" Be ye sanctified, for to-morrow the Lord will do wonders among
you." — Josue iii. 5.
ng)EHOLD Margaret Mary invested with a mission
^D the most formidable! She who shut herself up
in a cloister as in a tomb, to flee forever from
the eyes of men; who so carefully hid herself therein,
was now commissioned to address the whole world, to
turn all eyes toward the Divine Heart of Jesus, hitherto
known only to some chosen souls. She was even to
petition the Sovereign Pontiff for a new feast to be in-
scribed on the cycle of the Christian year.
To accomplish such a mission, what support had
God prepared for her ? There was at Meaux a bishop
who had reached the pinnacle of glory. He was Mar-
garet's countryman. Had he learned from her the
mysteries of the Heart of Jesus, he would have taught
them to the world with such brilliancy of genius, with
common-sense so good, that he would in advance have
overthrown the stupid objections of the eighteenth
century. At Cambray, not far from Meaux, was an-
other bishop who, though lacking the genius of Bossuet,
had, by the tenderness of his soul, the purity of his
heart, the noble elevation of his affections, admirably
inculcated this doctrine of love so suited to charm
a heart like his own. Again, there was at Paris an old
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 1 8 1
man who, like St. John, died exhausted by the ardor of
his charity. He knew nothing better in his green old
age than to repeat the words of the Prophet of Patmos:
"My little children, love one another." This was St.
Vincent of Paul, a worthy apostle of the Sacred Heart.
In exhaling this charming devotion with his last sigh,
he rendered it forever venerable. St. Vincent had had
in his school two young priests, M. Olier and Father de
Condren, to whom God had confided the great mission
of reanimating the hearts of the clergy and rekindling
charity in the breasts of those who were to be the
apostles and missionaries of the devotion. It would
seem that, if they themselves had added this light to
their sublime ideas on the priesthood, they would have
found in it strength invincible, and it would have added
another charm to their grand life-work.
But by one of those inscrutable designs of Divine
Providence, met at every step in the history of the
Church, in which we see God making it a delight to
triumph in weakness, not one of those illustrious stars
rose upon the horizon of Margaret Mary's humble
sphere. The only man, one not illustrious, though
pious and eloquent, who appeared for one instant at
Paray, departed almost as soon as he came, as if God
had sent him only to calm Margaret Mary's anxiety
and then abandon her to her own weakness.
Shortly after the sublime revelation of which we have
spoken, Father de la Colombiere received orders to go
to England as almoner to the Duchess of York, Marie
de Modena, a Catholic princess espoused to the heir,
presumptive of the crown of England. The holy priest
set out in haste; not, however, before he wrote a word
to Margaret, recommending her to abandon herself to
God and to the practice of holy humility. In answer
he received a prophetic line, in which she stimulated
him to courage in the midst of difficulties, meekness
toward his future enemies, and humility in success
1 82 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Such were the words of their adieux. The saint now
found herself alone in the face of her perilous mission.
For a moment she was alarmed and troubled; but, calm-
ing her fears, she retired into the depths of her soul,
and heard a voice saying to her: " Will not God suffice
for thee?"1
It might seem that an hour more badly chosen could
not be found in which to take from Margaret Mary the
enlightened guide so lately given. The time was ap-
proaching in which, called to proclaim to the world the
ineffable mysteries of the Heart of Jesus, she was to
learn them herself by bitter experience. The Heart
of Jesus, crowned with thorns and pierced with a
lance, was about to impress upon her its own living
image. We recall with what delight God inundated
her soul during her novitiate and on the day of her
profession; delights tempered, however, with the
assurance of a future cross that, without special help
from God, she would be unable to support. Far from
shrinking from it, Margaret had never ceased to plead
for it. It came at last. She was by it to be made
worthy of Him who had promised it, of Him from
whom she had so earnestly petitioned it.
Physical sufferings were the first intimation of its
presence. The little health she had, vanished. She
could but languish in her misery; and some strange
attendant circumstances threw around her state of
suffering an air of mystery. One morning, when draw-
ing water from the well in the middle of the yard, the
Ducket, after being filled, slipped from her hands and
fell with velocity proportioned to its weight. At the
same time, the long iron handle that served to raise it
swung violently round and round, and struck Margaret
on the head. She fell to the ground, several of her
teeth knocked out, her gums cut and bleeding. Her
sisters ran to raise her, bruised and livid, covered with
1 Memoire, p. 356.
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart, 183
blood, but smiling through it all. The terrible pain
consequent upon this accident threw light upon a vision
she had had a short time before. The Sacred Host had
appeared to her resplendent as the sun, and in the
centre of that glory was Our Lord holding a crown of
thorns in His hand. He laid the crown on Margaret's
head with the words: " My daughter, receive this crown
as a sign of that which shall soon be given thee to
render thee conformed to Me." And, in truth, from
that day Margaret's forehead was encircled with a band
of fire. She could rest her head not even on her pillow.
But she made no complaint. Courageously and joy-
ously she endured this conformity with her thorn-
crowned Spouse. " I confess," she said, " that I am
more grateful to my Sovereign Master for this precious
crown than if He had presented me the diamonds of
the greatest monarchs of the world; and this so much
the more, as no one can take it from me. Of necessity,
it often affords me long hours of wakefulness in which
to converse with the only Object of my love; for, like
my good Master, who could not rest His adorable head
on the bed of the cross, I am unable to rest mine on
my pillow."
Margaret, at the same time, felt greatly increase that
mysterious thirst from which she had already suffered,
and which nothing could assuage. It was caused either
by the fire that consumed and dried up her blood, or by
God's desire to give her this new resemblance to her
crucified Lord. Obedience alone could prevail on her
to take some relief. " Reflecting," says Mother de
Levis-Chateaumorand, " that Jesus' last suffering on the
cross was a burning thirst, Margaret resolved to abstain
from drinking anything from Thursday till Saturday of
every week. At another time, she passed fifty days
without taking any liquid; and when, by orders of
Superiors, she was obliged to refresh herself a little,
184 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoyue.
water, tepid and most disagreeable, was, she said, much
too good for her." '
Let us not forget, in this enumeration of Margaret's
sufferings, that invisible wound received at the first of
the three grand revelations. Our Lord having darted
to the heart of His servant " a little spark of the most
active flames of His Heart," she felt a mysterious pain
in her side, which increased on the first Friday of
every month. " This wound," Margaret tells us,
"whose pain is so precious to me, causes me suffering
so intense that it consumes me, burns me alive." 2
But this was not all. After giving her His crown of
thorns, after having communicated to her something of
the thirst He endured in His agony, and some portion
also of the sacred wound of His side, Jesus put the
finishing stroke to His work by appearing to her with a
cross in His hand. He said: " Receive, my daughter,
the cross I give thee. Plant it in thy heart. It will
cause thee to experience the most cruel torments, mys-
terious and continued." From that day Margaret be-
came, in fact, a compound of suffering that made her
an object of pity, a living image of the Heart of Jesus,
wounded, bleeding, and crowned with thorns. " In
truth," said a holy bishop, " neither her feet, hands, nor
side have received the visible marks of her Saviour's
wounds, and never was she favored with those miracu-
lous stigmata that glorified St. Francis of Assisi and
many other saints. But her conformity with the Divine
Master, though more hidden, was not less real."3 She
endured a band of fire around her head; a thirst that
nothing could assuage; a pain in the side from the
stroke of a lance; and a cross so heavy, so crushing in
its weight, that sometimes, in spite of her energy and
1 Process of 1715, Deposition of Mother de Levis-Chateaumorand.
2 Memoire, p. 326.
8 Pastoral of Mgr. de Marguerie, Bishop of Autun, for the Beatifica-
tion of Saint Margaret Mary, p. 19. Autun, 1865.
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 185
her avidity for suffering, she was tempted to lay it
down. But at such moments the Lord interposed by
stretching Himself upon it. One day, for instance, that
she was ill and wished to relieve herself by changing
her position from one side to the other, He appeared to
her and, in ineffable accents, said: "When I was carry-
ing My cross, I did not change it from side to side."
God thus accomplished in His servant what He had
promised when, at the beginning of her novitiate, she
placed herself at His feet like a piece of canvas and He
had engaged to delineate in her the features of His
Buffering life. " Like Veronica's veil," continues the
holy bishop just quoted, " Margaret Mary received the
impress of Jesus' features bruised and humbled." !
This was necessary; for there is no perfection, even
human, no intellectual pre-eminence, no moral grandeur,
and, with still greater reason, no sanctity, apart from
Buffering. But above all was it necessary for Margaret
Mary on account of the mission confided to her. How
would she be able to understand the Heart of Jesus,
that furnace of immolation and sacrifice by love; how
would she be able to speak of it to the world, had she
not begun to make of her own heart a furnace of love
And, consequently, of immolation and sorrow ?
Although God assisted her by multiplied trials, by
sacrifices and tribulations that, far from ceasing, were
ever on the increase, it was wholly insufficient to satisfy
her desire to love, to suffer, and to die. " From her
ardent love for Jesus Christ," says Mother de Levis-
Chateaumorand, " proceeded that other for contempt
and sufferings, which she called her daily bread. And
although God acted liberally toward her on this point,
she was never satisfied, but always hungering. She
was never sufficiently humbled, never sufficiently
crushed. A day without this food was to her a day of
1 Pastoral of Mgr. de Marguerie, p. 16.
1 86 Life of Saint Margaret Mary A lacoqite.
special suffering. Had not obedience stayed her, she
would have fallen into excesses." 1
" Margaret's love for pain and suffering," say her
contemporaries, " was insatiable. With St. Teresa, she
desired to suffer or to die. She declared that she would
willingly live till the day of judgment, provided she
might always have something to suffer for God; but
that to live a single day without suffering would be in-
tolerable to her." 2 Again, she said that she was " de-
voured by two insatiable fevers: one for holy Com-
munion, in which she received the God of her heart and
the Heart of her God; the other for suffering, contempt,
and humiliation."3
Whilst these things were going on in the soul of
Saint Margaret Mary, others were being prepared for
her in the interior of the convent, and they were to
furnish ample food for that hunger after immolation
which tormented her. To her Sisters her life became
more and more of an enigma. They understood nothing.
Instead of dissipating, the clouds that overshadowed
their mind grew heavier; and Margaret found around
her only doubts, suspicion, contradictions. Let us note
well what, in 1675, our humble Margaret was to her
Sisters, the religious of Paray. God had just conferred
on her an admirable mission, and an inestimable honor,
in making her the confidant of the anguish and suffer-
ings of His Sacred Heart; but the Sisters knew nothing
of it. Not one word from Father de la Colombiere,
Mother de Saumaise, nor, for still greater reason, from
Margaret herself, betrayed the secret. The Sisters
knew of her only what they saw; that is, hours of prayer
prolonged beyond those of the Community; rising in the
night, permitted, undoubtedly, by the Superioress, but
extraordinary in the Visitation; customs that seemed
singular, as that of working on her knees, or others that
1 Process of 171 5, Deposition of Mother de Levis-Chateaumorand.
2Contemp., p. 141. 3 lb.
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 187
astonished without giving light, as the fainting or
swooning that took place in the choir, and necessitated
her being carried out by the Sisters; and, in fine, what
appeared yet more serious, frequent conferences with
the Superioress, with Father de la Colombiere, and with
extraordinary confessors. Though not desiring such
interviews, Margaret Mary was obliged to hold them.
All this was to the Sisters inexplicable, and very natu^
rally brought to their lips such remarks as these: " Why
does our dear Sister do nothing like anyone else? Why
ambition such singularities ?"
To all this must be added the strange absorption of
which we have spoken, which increased every day and
rendered Margaret Mary more and more incapable of
special duties. Her Superioress had tried her skill as
infirmarian, but without marked success, although her
goodness, zeal, and devotedness were there displayed to
all, and her charity found vent in such acts of heroism
that our readers could not endure the relation of them.
She had been tried in the kitchen, but tha* proved even
a greater failure, for the dishes fell from her hands.
The admirable humility with which she repaired her
awkwardness did not prevent such accidents from being
very prejudicial to the order and regularity that ought
to reign in a Community. She was next placed in the
boarding-school. There she was loved by the little girls,
who, venerating her as a saint, even clipped off pieces of
her habit. But her preoccupation of mind prevented nec-
essary vigilance. Poor dear Sister! In 1675, even more
than in 1672, she lived not on earth; and so they were
forced to let her live in heaven! Join to this her strange
maladies, with their sudden cures and as sudden re-
lapses, incomprehensible to the physicians and still more
so to the Sisters, and then let us ask, should not one
be astonished ? Why not say: But may not the imagi-
nation play an active part in all this ? Is not she of
whom we speak laboring under an ill-regulated tempera-
1 88 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
ment ? Is she not perhaps the victim of illusion?
Vainly was Margaret Mary thus interrogated. Her
answers, vague and unsatisfactory, afforded no light to
the members of the Community. Some said that Sister
Margaret Mary was under delusion. They even accused
her of having won over Mother de Saumaise and Father
de la Colombiere, and of imparting to them a share in
her delusions. Some went even farther, and asked if
she were not possessed by the devil; whilst others
sprinkled holy water when they passed her. One ad-
vantage of this diversity of judgment, which God per-
mitted as formerly the incredulity of St. Thomas, was
to place in clearer light the divine origin of the revela-
tions on the Sacred Heart. But it had, too, its dis-
advantages, for it was the occasion of faults, little mur-
murs, and words contrary to charity. Among some of
the Sisters it gave rise, also, to obstinate blindness
touching the ways of God, and to the forming of par-
ties, a circumstance well calculated to render the con-
vent of Paray wholly unworthy to become the sanctuary
of the Sacred Heart. All this led to a singular result,
until now very badly understood, and which has been
strangely exaggerated by Mgr. Languet, Margaret
Mary's first biographer. He had received the recital
from some aged religious who, unable to forgive them-
selves the part they had taken in the affair, magnified
the injury they had done their saintly Sister, ft is now
our duty to re-establish the truth and explain its grand
signification.
When about to give His Law to the people on Mount
Sinai, God ordered them to purify themselves, because
"To-morrow," He said to them through Moses, "the
Lord will do wonders among you." Again, before be-
ginning His ministry at Jerusalem, the Lord, wishing
to inaugurate it by the purification of the Temple, drove
from it all those that dishonored its sanctity. Thus at
the moment of confiding to Paray the treasure of the
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 1 89
Sacred Heart, Almighty God resolved to demand of it
a solemn expiation of all the faults that had been there
committed, especially in regard to His servant. Behold
how this was done:
On the 21st of November of every year, the feast of
the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin in the Temple,
the religious of the Visitation renew their vows at holy
Mass, having prepared for that solemn act by a little
retreat and some penitential exercises. On November
20, 1677, when the Sisters went at eight o'clock in the
evening to take their collation in the refectory — for they
fast on that day — they were much astonished to see
Saint Margaret enter, or rather drag herself in, fall
on her knees in the middle of the floor, and there, vio-
lently agitated, her eyes full of tears, make unavailing
efforts to speak. She was out of herself, she trembled
in every limb, and uttered from time to time the words:
"My God, my God, have pity on me!" After vainly
trying to force some words from her, the Sisters con-
ducted her to the Superioress, Mother de Saumaise, who
was at the time ill in the infirmary. Margaret Mary,
still in a transport of sorrow, and perfectly overwhelmed
with grief, appeared before her. She was questioned
as to what was the matter with her; but she could
say nothing, until the Superioress, who knew that
obedience alone could unseal her lips, ordered her to
speak. Then came the startling announcement that
God was displeased with the Community; that He had
determined to punish it, unless Margaret herself con-
sented to be a victim in its stead and endure the chas-
tisements He had prepared for it. She told them that,
frightened at the sight of such humiliations and suffer-
ings, she had long resisted; that since the day on which
He had said to her, " Thou must become a victim of
immolation to My Heart, to avert the chastisements in
store," and on which she had hesitated through fear,
God had not ceased to pursue her; that again, in the
19° Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
morning, God's anger was shown her in a terrible man*
ner, and He had said to her: " It is hard for thee to
kick against the goad of My justice." In the same
spirit He added: "Since thou dost make so much re-
sistance to humiliations, I shall give them to thee double;
and instead of a secret immolation, I demand of thee a
public sacrifice accompanied by the most humiliating
circumstances." It was for this that Margaret Mary
had dragged herself to the refectory to make aloud on
the spot the sacrifice that God had demanded of her for
the sins of the Community; but the words had died on
her lips. She had fainted in terror and confusion under
the eye of the irritated God who was pursuing her.
All this was told to the Superioress with sighs and sobs,
with a voice and demeanor that excited pity.
Mother de Saumaise, who knew the sublime traditions
of the Sacred Heart, who doubted not their truth, and
who was daily expecting God to make them known to
the Community, was not astonished that He wished
it to be purified, that it might deserve to be the first
sanctuary of that Adorable Heart. She sent at once
for the Sister Assistant, and told her to say to the Sisters
that God was angry with them, and that to appease
Him every one must go to her cell and take a discipline
in expiation of the sins of the Community.
If, in imposing this penance, the Superioress had been
able to give the reason for it, namely, the necessity of
purifying the place in which God was going to illus-
trate the wonders of His love, there would have escaped
from the Sisters a cry of answering love. But Mother
de Saumaise, not feeling herself obliged to speak more
at large, kept silence, and thus subjected the whole
Community to a severe trial. That apparition of Mar-
garet Mary in the refectory, her tears, her choking sobs,
her cries, " Have pity, have pity, my God!" followed by
the long conference with the Superioress, in which she
announced that God was dissatisfied, that the Com-
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 191
munity was not sufficiently holy, that it should be puri-
fied by penance, — all this to-day, when the saintly
Sister appears before us with an aureola on her brow,
this command on the part of God to purify the future
sanctuary of the Sacred Heart is beautiful and full of
signification; but at the time of which we speak it was
far from being so. Margaret Mary was young, scarcely
eight-and-twenty, only yesterday professed, giving les-
sons to her Sisters, to the venerable Mother by whom
she had so recently been received! Such conduct, to
say the least of it, was certainly singular. However,
such were the piety and fervor of this Community, of
which Mother Greyfie said, " This dear Paray is the
Tabor of Superiors, on account of the obedience that
therein reigns," 1 that the Sisters retired in silence to their
cells, and performed without murmur the painful ex-
piation imposed upon them, the reason of which they
did not even ask. Some only, called by duty to the in-
firmary, or a few whose dissatisfaction brought them to
Mother de Saumaise, found Margaret Mary there trem-
bling and still overcome by her feelings. They ap-
proached and questioned her, but her silence only in-
creased their chagrin. As the hour of retiring had
sounded, and the saintly Sister was unable to go to her
cell, they carried, or rather they dragged, her thither,
plying her meanwhile with questions in which there
may have been some small dash of irony. As they
knew nothing of the mysterious sufferings of their holy
companion, some of them proposed that a physician
should be called in, whilst others retorted that to have
recourse to holy water would be all-sufficient. How
many took part in this scene ? Five at most; and were
we to raise the veil, we might almost tell their names.
They were Sisters by no means relaxed and tepid, as
has been asserted, but souls pious and even fervent.
Their only fault was a little too narrow an attachment
1 Memoire of Mother Greyfie.
l92 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
to the letter of the law. Dreading innovations of any
kind, they interpreted the word of St. Francis de Sales
in a servile manner, and thought that instead of thus
disturbing the quiet and good order of the convent,
their Sister would do far better simply to follow what
is prescribed.
For a proof of what we say, as also of their own piety,
we have only to see them at a later period kneeling be-
fore Mgr. Languet, and humbly accusing themselves of
their share in the scene of that memorable night. This
they did with a trifle of holy exaggeration, thus mis-
leading him as an historian. The next morning, also,
distressed at having broken the " great silence," and, in
their excitement, of having allowed some words contrary
to charity to escape them, they asked to go to confes-
sion before holy Mass. On their return from holy
Communion, Margaret Mary heard the Lord saying to
her: " My daughter, the peace is concluded, and the
sanctity of My justice is satisfied." The temple had
been purified.
This sublime act, the signification of which can escape
no one, and which was none other than the divine puri-
fication of the convent of Paray before the day on which
Jesus would make of it the first sanctuary of His Divine
Heart, was the last act of the drama in which we shall
see appear the venerable Mother de Saumaise. Her six
years of government were drawing to a close, and
shortly after, she left Paray to return to Dijon. She
had deserved well of God and the Church by her intel-
ligence and meekness, her firmness and prudence; for,
after hesitating an instant in view of Margaret's extra-
ordinary ways, she recognized her true call to the Visi-
tation, and admitted her to holy profession. She after-
ward directed her with a rare mingling of meekness and
strength; and when the sublime revelations began,
sought counsel, that she might not err in things so dif-
ficult. She had listened humbly to Father de la Colom-
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. 193
biere and, reassured by him, had continued to keep
Margaret in humility and peace. Convinced, finally,
that God was preparing a great light for His Church,
instead of turning the part she had taken in it to her
own glory, she silently withdrew, discreetly carrying
the secret in her own heart, and humbly leaving to
others the honor of assisting at these wonders and of
laboring at the promulgation of that august mystery.
From her we have a magnificent testimony on our
saintly Sister, in which she particularly praises her
humility, her obedience, her mortification, her avidity
for contempt, and that impatience for the cross which
increased with trials. " During the six years that I
knew our Sister Margaret Mary," she wrote, " I can
affirm that she never for one instant relaxed the resolu-
tion taken at her profession to make God reign in her
before all, above all, and in all, and never to grant
any pleasure to mind or body. This fidelity attracted
upon her from the Divine Goodness some special graces,
which brought with them a very great desire for the
cross, humiliations and sufferings. We may truly say
without exaggeration that no one was more ambitious
of honors and pleasures than she was of contempt and
humiliations which, in spite of her highly sensitive na-
ture, formed her only joy." 1
Nothing can be added to these words.
1 Contemp., p. 114.
J94 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
CHAPTER XL
MOTHER GREYFIE SUBMITS MARGARET'S EXTRAORDI
NARY WAYS TO A NEW EXAMINATION— HER SEVER
ITY AND HER FEARLESSNESS— FATHER DE LA CO
LOMBIERE RETURNS TO PARAY— HIS DEATH.
1678-1684.
" Probate spiritus, si ex Deo sint."
" Try the spirits if they be of God." — /. St. John iv. I.
'UNE 17, 1678, Mother Peronne-Rosalie Greyfie, a
religious of Annecy, arrived at Paray, having
been elected Superioress in place of Mother de
Saumaise.
The first of the three Superioresses deputed by God
to examine the extraordinary ways of Margaret Mary,
Mother Hersant, was from Paris. The second, she who
had admitted her to profession and who was the confi-
dant of the revelations of the Sacred Heart, Mother de
Saumaise, was from Dijon, the natal place of St. Chantal.
Mow we have Annecy, " the holy source," coming in its
turn to take up this grand and solemn examination, and
going, if we may so express ourselves, to close it.
Coming to Paray after the period of the grandest
revelations and before the public manifestation of Mar-
garet's apostolate, Mother Greyfie seems to have been
delegated for no other end than, by the severity and
courage of her examination, to throw splendor upon
Margaret's virtue and the supernatural character of her
mission. It must be granted that no Superioress was
more fitted than she to fulfil the task intrusted to her.
Blessed in her earliest childhood by the venerable
Mother de Chantal, admitted to the " little habit" and
boarding-school by Mother de Blonay, received to her
A New Examination. 195
profession Dy Mother de Chaugy, Peronne-Rosalie
Greyfie had been reared from her earliest years in
the purest atmosphere of the Visitation. The stories
told of her during her childhood, and later in her novi-
tiate, record actions full of generosity and strength of
character that show the grandeur of her soul. " She is
a distinguished subject," wrote the Superioress of An-
necy, Marie- Aimee de Rabutin, on sending her to Paray,
" who perfectly possesses the spirit of meekness and
strength proper for governing. Upright and sincere,
she is a perfectly humble soul, and very exact to the
observance. Indeed, my dear Sisters, only my great
love for Paray induces me to send it this Mother with
whom, I am persuaded, you will be perfectly satisfied."1
Superioress at Thonon, Paray, Lemur, Rouen, and An-
necy successively, she died at the age of seventy-nine
years, after sixty-two years of profession. She was one
of those great Superioresses of the Visitation during its
second period. But there is a difference in souls.
Sweetness predominated in Mother de Saumaise. In
her one loved that breadth and frankness of mind,
unmixed with weakness, that led her to all that is good.
Mother Greyfie was, on the contrary, characterized by
rigorism and austerity. "She had," say the old Me-
moires, "an extreme distrust for the guidance of extra-
ordinary souls."2 "Her wonderful attachment to the
Rule made of her a living rule."3 With such a char-
acter and such inclinations, one might expect Mother
Greyfie to neglect no precaution to assure herself of the
nature of Sister Margaret Mary's extraordinary ways.
Perhaps it was for this that the convent of Annecy,
which knew of the trouble at Paray, had suggested her
election to the Sisters. Let us, to rise above thoughts
1 Abridgment of the Life and Virtues of our very honored Mother
Peronne-Rosalie Greyfie, who died Superioress of this First Monastery
of Annecy, February 26, 1717. Small octavo of 19 pages. Annecy, 1718.
* Life and Works, vol. i. p. 448. 3 Abrege, etc.
x96 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
so low, say that it was certainly for this purpose God
had brought her to Paray, that there might no longer be
room for doubt of Sister Margaret Mary's sublime mis-
sion. The precautions taken by Mother Greyfie were
of such a nature, her severity so great, that she after-
ward experienced remorse for it; nor could she end her
life without publicly expressing regret " for having
yielded too much to Margaret's desire to be humbled
and mortified." 1
At the time of Mother Greyfie's coming to the con-
vent of Paray, the community, "very good," she says,
"and full of virtue and piety,"2 was decidedly divided
on the subject of Margaret Mary. The great act that
we have related in the preceding chapter, always inex-
plicable, had left a deep impression. No one could
doubt Margaret's virtue, though her conduct astonished.
Discussion went on, not with regard to the revelations
of the Sacred Heart, absolutely unknown to the Com-
munity, and of which the Sister had not yet said one
word, but on her long prayers, her faintings in the
choir, her unusual practices, her strange maladies. Re-
ligious the most grave, the most fervent, and at their
head Marie-Madeleine des Escures, " whom they always
regarded as a saint," 3 inclined to believe that Margaret
was in error.
No doubt Mother Greyfie had from the beginning
demanded entire and filial confidence. She learned in
this way, and perhaps also from Mother de Saumaise,
of the three revelations of the Sacred Heart. What
impression had this recital made upon her mind ? Did
she believe it ? Did she doubt it ? It is difficult to say,
although everything seemed to indicate that, at first,
she was not perfectly convinced.
1 Memoire of Mother Greyfi6. 2 Ibid.
3 Abridgment of the Life and Virtues of our very honored Sister
Marie-Elizabeth de la Salle, died in this Convent of Paray, February
lo> 1735- Small octavo of 13 pages.
A New Examination. 197
However that may be, her resolution very quickly
followed. It was this: to make no account of what she
had heard, and to subject Margaret in all things to the
common life of the Community. She herself tells us
with what rigor she executed her resolve: "When I
entered the service of your house," she wrote later to
the Sisters of Paray, " although your Community was
very good, full of virtue and piety, I nevertheless found
sentiments very much divided with respect to this true
spouse of the crucified Saviour. Therefore, to keep
each Sister in peace and tranquillity, I made up my
mind rarely to pay any attention to the extraordinary
things that she said took place in her. I never intro-
duced her to any one, neither within nor without the
convent. If it happened that she did something which
displeased, though by my order or with my consent, I
suffered that others should disapprove it, and I even
blamed her myself if she were present." !
With an imperfect soul such conduct might have
been dangerous, leading perhaps to revolt. But with
Margaret Mary, whatever efforts Mother Greyfie made,
she could not succeed in humbling her as much as she
desired to humble herself. Mother Greyfie continues:
" It was always Sister Margaret Mary who was called to
account for whatever went wrong; it was she who did
all the mischief, all the evil, or who was the cause of
God's permitting it in others. Thus she ceased not to
ask to do penance, to satisfy Divine Justice. Had she
been allowed, she would have martyrized her body with
fasts, vigils, bloody disciplines, and other macerations."
This first means not succeeding, Mother Greyfie tried
another. She not only affected to make no account of
Margaret, whom she ever sacrificed to the murmurs of
the Community, even when the saintly Sister had acted
by her orders; but to calm minds, she began to with-
draw from Margaret the permissions that had be«n
1 Memoire of Mother Greyfie.
J9^ Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
accorded her. She had been allowed to make the Holy
Hour; that is to say, every week on the night between
Thursday and Friday, at the end of Matins, she re-
mained in the choir until eleven o'clock, prostrate on
the floor, her arms in the form of a cross. It was there
the Lord made her ineffably participate in the sorrows
of His agony. At first, Mother Greyfie made her
change her posture, requiring her to kneel with her
hands joined; and soon she spoke of suppressing this
exercise altogether. So long as there was question of
merely changing her posture, the humble Margaret said
not a word. But when the Holy Hour was suppressed,
though she obeyed (for nothing could shake her obedi-
ence), two or three times on coming from prayer she ran
frightened to the Superioress to say that the Lord ap-
peared irritated, and that she was afraid some terrible
punishment would reveal His anger. Mother Greyfie
paid no attention to her, but persisted in the order she
had given. While things were going on in this way,
there died suddenly, and under circumstances that
astonished Mother Greyfie, one of the youngest and
most amiable Sisters of the Community, one on whom
were founded the greatest hopes. Mother Greyfie
thought she saw in this stroke the divine anger threat-
ening her, and she hastened to restore Margaret's per-
mission for the Holy Hour. It is she herself who tells
this humbly and simply. But obliged thus to yield in
this one point, she held firmly to the rest of her orders;
and our poor Sister Margaret Mary, drawn by a force
more powerful than herself and having already taken
her upward flight, was obliged humbly to subject her-
self to the pace of the other Sisters.
Soon Mother Greyfie went farther. She affected to
pay no more attention to her maladies than to her at-
tractions and to the permissions that had been ac-
corded her. She obliged her, though in a raging fe-
ver and weighed down by illness, to follow every
A New Examination. 199
exercise of the Community. It might have drawn tears
to all eyes to see this perfectly obedient soul dragging
herself to the choir and there remaining on her knees,
her hands joined and motionless, with the exception of
the slight movements the fever forced from her. One
of these occasions will be forever memorable. Mar-
garet was in bed in the infirmary. Mother Greyfie
went to see her, and told her to rise and follow the
exercises of the annual retreat. " Go," said she to her,
" I remit you into the hands of God. Let Him direct
you, govern you, and cure you according to His will."
Margaret Mary was, at first, a little surprised to find
herself put into retreat, notwithstanding her raging
fever; but the joy of being, as the Mother h&d said
" placed in the hands of God " overruled every other
consideration. She rose at once from her bed, and be-
gan her retreat. God, who loves generous souls, ap-
peared to her as soon as she had retired to her little
cell. She was lying on the floor, benumbed with cold.
He raised her up with a thousand caresses, saying:
"Lo! thou art now committed, entirely to Me and My
care; consequently, I wish to restore thee in perfect
health to her who remitted thee into My hands." In
effect, after eight days passed in ineffable delights, Mar-
garet Mary came out of retreat physically renewed, and
so strong that Mother Greyfie was in admiration.
One might be tempted to accuse Mother Greyfie of
cruelty, but she was far from deserving such a reproach.
She wished to see clearly, for she felt the weight of her
responsibility in matters so grave. By nature little
given to extraordinary things; "knowing," as St. Chan-
tal says, " that women are sometimes very imaginative;"
fearing to be deceived and drawing the convent and the
whole Institute into error, she knew not what pre-
cautions to take to assure herself of the truth of the
sublime revelations of the Sacred Heart. And sup-
200 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
posing that she did exceed in measure, which, however,
we do not believe, who will dare blame her ?
Resolved to rise above her doubts, she wished to have
at any cost some authentic act to prove that it was God
who was conducting Sister Margaret Mary. Conse-
quently, full of that holy audacity to be found in the
lives of the saints, she had the hardihood to demand a
miracle that would have numberless witnesses and the
greatest publicity.
" One day," says Mother Greyfie, " when the fervent
Sister was recovering from a serious illness and had not
yet left her bed, I know not whether it was on a Satur-
day or the eve of a feast, I went to see her. She asked
my permission to rise next morning for holy Mass. I
hesitated a little at her request, and she perfectly under-
stood that I did not consider her strong enough to
grant it. Whereupon, responding to my thought, she
said tome, sweetly and graciously: ' My good Mother, if
you wish it, the Lord will also wish it and give me the
strength.' ' Then,' I replied, ' I shall tell the Sister In-
firmarian to give you some nourishment in the morning
and let you rise about Office time, so as to bring you to
holy Mass."'1
The infirmarian was Sister Catherine-Augustine Ma-
rest. Now, on the evening of that same day, Margaret
Mary, feeling better, thought she could not only hear
Mass the next day, but also receive holy Communion,
of which she had been so long deprived. She spoke of
it to the Sister Infirmarian, and implored her to go and
ask the Superioress' permission to remain fasting, that
she might communicate. Sister Marest promised, but
soon forgot the commission. Next morning she made
Margaret rise very early and still fasting. All at once
she remembered that she had not asked permission for
Margaret to remain fasting, so she left the infirmary to
seek the Superioress and ask the desired leave. " God
1 Memoire of Mother Greyfie.
A New Examination. 201
permitted," says Mother Greyfie, " that, as she left by
one door, I should enter the infirmary by the other.
Hardly had I seen the poor invalid up and learned from
her that she was fasting with the intention of being
able to communicate, than, without inquiring into the
fact, I gave her a sharp reprimand, exaggerated her
fault and called it the effect of her own will, want of
obedience, submission, and simplicity. In conclusion,
I told her to go to Mass and communicate. But since
her own will had given her sufficient strength and cour-
age for that, I wished in my turn to command. I then
prescribed that she should carry her bed-clothes to her
cell and her napkin to the refectory, and that she should
go to the Office at the sound of the bell, and follow ali
the Community exercises for five consecutive months,
without once returning to the infirmary. Margaret
Mary received my correction on her knees, her hands
joined, her countenance sweet and tranquil. After
listening to the end, she humbly asked pardon and pen-
ance for her fault, and at once set about fulfilling to the
letter all that I had commanded." *
There were at this time in the infirmary two Sisters,
Francoise-Marguerite d'Athose and Catherine-Augus-
tine Marest, the latter having returned in time to
witness the scene. Both testified at the process of
canonization to the impression received from Margaret's
humility. They saw her humbly fall on her knees be-
fore her Superioress, ask her pardon for a fault that
she had not committed, and, without reply or excuse, go
simply where obedience sent her.
It was, perhaps, lightly and under some excitement
that Mother Greyfie had told Margaret to carry the
clothes from her bed and not again to set foot in the
infirmary for five months. But when the saint had
gone, reflecting that, humanly speaking, obedience to
her orders was impossible, the venerable Superioress
1 Memoire of Mother Greyfie.
202 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
felt inspired that this was the occasion for which she
had so long been seeking, the miracle that would banish
every remaining doubt. Retiring to her cell, she wrote
the following note, which she laid under Margaret's
eyes, as she was already kneeling in the choir to hear
holy Mass.
"Live *J« Jesus!
" I, the undersigned, by virtue of the authority God
has given me in quality of Superioress of Sister Mar-
garet Mary, command her, by virtue of holy obedience,
to ask health of the Lord with so much fervor and im-
portunity that she may prevail on His goodness to
grant it, in order not to be always a burden to holy
religion and to be able assiduously to practise all the
exercises of the Community, and this until the Presenta-
tion of Our Lady of this year, 1780, on which day we
shall deliberate upon what we shall do for the future.
"Sister Peronne-Rosalie Greyfie, Superioress."
Mother Greyfie did not mince matters. More than
once we have had proofs that on great occasions God
loves such bold tests of faith. The miracle asked by
Margaret Mary was instantaneous and brilliant; or
rather there were two of them. First, the sudden and
extraordinary cure, followed by perfect health; then, at
the end of five months, the feast of the Presentation,
a relapse so sudden, so lamentable, into so unusual a
state, that God's intervention was evident. The entire
Community witnessed these two prodigies. A number
of Sisters testified to them at the process of canoniza-
tion; and all declared that they knew not which to ad-
mire more, the swiftness of the cure or the precision of
the relapse.
Let us listen to Margaret Mary recounting the cir-
cumstances of the first miracle: " At the elevation of
holy Mass, I felt sensibly relieved of all my infirmities.
It was as if a robe of suffering had been taken off me;
A New Examination. 203
and I found myself with the health and strengtn of a
very robust person that had never been sick."
Listen now to contemporaries, who testified to ..he
second. " We all admired so manifest a miracle, espe-
cially as at the same hour upon which the five months
expired, she fell suddenly as ill as she had been
before." 2
Several religious testified at the time to these two
miracles. " The venerable Sister," says Sister Fran-
chise Chalon, " was suddenly cured the day on which
the Superioress asked it. She went to the choir with
the other Sisters, all of whom were much astonished by
the sudden change in her state. All went well for five
months, at the end of which she relapsed into her
former infirmities." The said deponent added that the
venerable Sister had made her read the note which the
Superioress had given her, and in which she exacted
her cure as an evidence of the divine origin of what
took place in her.3 " I attest," says Sister Rosalie de
Lyonne, " that I saw our venerable Sister at the time of
her greatest illness, when she received from the Superi
oress the note ordering her to ask of God her cure as a
sign that all that took place in her came from Him.
Margaret Mary accepted the alternative, and submitted.
That same day she was cured, and, to our great astonish-
ment, began to follow all the exercises of the Com-
munity. She continued in perfect health for five months,
needing no remedy; but at the end of that time she
relapsed into all her infirmities. I saw and read the
note. I am an eye-witness of Jboth the cure and the
relapse." The venerable Sister said to her in con-
fidence, as she tells us, that if the Superioress had asked
five years instead of five months she would undoubt-
edly have obtained them from her amiable Saviour.4
1 Memoire, p. 363.
8 Contemp., p. 150. 3 Process of 1715, p. 57.
4 Process of 1715, Deposition of Sister de Lyonne.
204 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Besides other witnesses, Sister Catherine Marest and
Mother Elizabeth de la Garde spoke of the miracles
and stated the facts in identical terms, to the surprise
and admiration of the Sisters.
While things were taking this turn at Paray, Father
de la Colombiere was obliged to leave England. He
returned to France crushed, almost dying. Had any
one been tempted to envy Father de la Colombiere's
position as almoner to the Duchess of York and con-
fessor to the heir-presumptive to the crown, he might
now estimate in his person the small value of worldly
honors. After passing four years in the Duchess of
York's palace, where he lived as a religious and in such
detachment that he did not even visit the great capital
of England, and at the same time as an apostle, preach-
ing incessantly and with the greatest success, Father de
la Colombiere, along with some English Catholics, was
suddenly involved in a grave accusation of plotting
against the safety of the state. The accusation was
apparently political, intended, they said, to protect the
threatened life of the king; in reality, however, its ob-
ject was to dishonor the Duke of York, his heir-pre-
sumptive, because he was a Catholic, and thus prevent
his ascending the throne. In revolutionary times, when
people are excited, a word suffices to enkindle a fire.
The idea of this pretended plot hatched by the Catho-
lics against the life of the king of England was received
by the people of England with a credulity at which
their greatest historians now blush. Father de la
Colombiere was conspicuous by his high position, his
apostolic zeal and great talents. He was, therefore,
one of the first arrested even in the palace of the
Duchess of York, and cast into prison. There, resigned
to death, he languished a whole month by order of his
judges. At the end of this time he was made to assist
at the execution of four English Jesuits, his confreres
and friends, who were put to death under his eyes.
Father de la Colornbiere returns to Par ay. 2c -
Then, as his enemies dare not touch his person, by-
reason of his being a Frenchman, they condemned him
to perpetual banishment from England. A vessel
landed him on the shores of France. The dampness of
his prison, the racking emotion of a sensitive soul like
his at the sight of the sufferings of his friends, the
sorrow of leaving a great church desolated for so long
a period, brought on hemorrhages of the lungs, whic*»
in some months conducted him to the grave.
Hardly had he set foot on the soil of France when he
wrote to his Superior in terms that portray the most
touching humility. He begged forgiveness for return-
ing to France almost incapable of work, a burden to
the Society, and he asked for orders. " It is very pain-
ful to me," he wrote, " to return to the province in a
condition in which apparently I shall not be able to
work much this year." 1 Lyons having been assigned
him as his place of residence, he passed rapidly through
Paris, and proceeded through Burgundy, stopping at
Dijon to see Mother de Saumaise. He had always had
an uncommon esteem for this soul, so generous, so
good, and he wanted to converse with her about Sister
Margaret Mary, and learn in detail the end of those
marvels of which they had together been the first con-
fidants. It is bitterly to be regretted that the conversa-
tion of those two great souls has not been preserved.
We know not whether Mother de Saumaise carefully
guarded the secret, or whether the Sisters to whom she
related it had no thought of committing it to writing.
We only know that during the visit he made at the
parlor to all the Community, Mother de Saumaise hav-
ing been called out for a moment, he took advantage of
her absence to congratulate the Sisters on having such
a Mother, adding humbly that he would esteem himself
happy to be under such direction.
From Dijon Father de la Colornbiere went direct to
1 Letter of January 16, 1679.
2°6 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Paray, conducted to Mother Greyfie by the same Hand
that had hitherto led him, in order to throw on the
extraordinary ways of Sister Margaret Mary some last
light. At Paray they hardly recognized him. He was
no longer the young religious, at once so humble and
So brilliant, who was so communicative, and who spoke
with so much warmth. He could scarcely breathe.
They felt that he " had," as Holy Scripture says,
" come out of great tribulation." ' But his peace of
soul, the fire that lit up his emaciated countenance, his
recollection and lively faith, particularly at the altar,
told more plainly than words that this tribulation had
been good for him, and that he had finished *' the wash-
ing of his robe in the blood of the Lamb." The whole
town, and the Visitation in particular, welcomed him
with that veneration which the first Christians had for
those confessors whom the sword had spared in spite of
themselves. According to the expression of one of the
Fathers of the Church: "He had not failed to be a
martyr, if martyrdom had not failed him."2
Paray seemed to restore him a little strength. Some
days after his arrival, he wrote to Mother de Saumaise:
"I was ill on arriving at Paray; but in two days I was
re-established. I worked straight on for a week from
morning till night, without feeling any inconvenience.
I cannot tell you how many subjects of consolation God
has given me; I found matters in an admirable con-
dition. // seems to me thai everything has taken an increase
since my departure. . . . You can easily believe that in
eight days I have not had time for long interviews with
those who wished to speak to me; and yet it has pleased
the infinite mercy of God to shed so many blessings on
the few words I have said that all have been, as it were,
renewed in fervor." 3
1 Apoc. vii. 14.
2 See the Approbation of Father de la Colombiere's Sermons,
December 21, 1 681.
3 Letter written at Lyons, March 2?
Father de la Colombiere returns to Par ay. 207
He saw Mother Greyfie several times, and had long
interviews with her, but with Sister Margaret Mary-
only once. This accorded with the course he always
followed in conversing with the latter. He saw her
rarely, then but for a short time; and they hardly ever
wrote. If Margaret had a word to say to him, she put
it on a scrap of paper and confided it to Mother Greyfie,
who either sent it, or did not send it, to London. The
reply came under cover to the Superioress, or rather in
her letter. A heavenly detachment existed in those
rare and hasty communications. One sees nothing
human in them. This unique visit was, besides, full of
consolation. " I have only been able to see Sister Mar-
garet Mary once; but I have had much consolation in
the visit. I always find her extremely humble and sub-
missive, with a great love of the cross and of contempt.
Behold the marks of the spirit that guides her, and
which never deceives any one." '
What Father de la Colombiere wrote then to Mother
de Saumaise he had said in the same tone to Mothe**
Greyfie, with whom he had conversed a long time. He
declared to her very decidedly that, as for himself, he
did not hesitate to believe that " what passed in this
dear Sister came from God." He gave her the true
reason for it: "There is in her no appearance of illu-
sion; it would be found that the devil, in wishing to
deceive her, deceives himself: humility, simplicity, ex-
act obedience, and mortification are not the fruits of
the spirit of darkness."2 "By this advice," said Mother
Greyfie, " I have been strongly reassured; for in what-
ever way I have taken Sister Margaret Mary, I always
found her in the faithful practice of these virtues and
the exact observance of our holy duties."8
During those eight or ten days passed at Paray,
Father de la Colombiere remarked, as he wrote to Mother
1 Letter written at Lyons, March 23.
5 Contemp., p. 130. 3 Memoire of Mother Greyfie.
208 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque,
de la Saumaise, that all was very much increased during his
absence. It was the truth. Mother Greyfie's severity
had made resplendent both Margaret's virtue and the
divinity of her sublime revelations. Her boldness in
demanding a miracle had begun to crown our humble
Margaret with the aureola of the saints. Besides,, it is
the privilege of true love that the more it is persecuted
the more it becomes inflamed, like fire, which the air
fans and excites. This is what she sang in her novitiate
days:
" The more they contradict my love,
The more that love inflames!"
Checked in her most earnest aspirations, deprived of
those exercises that would satisfy her love by allowing
it expression, Margaret felt her passion for God and the
Sacred Heart increase. We have purposely said " her
passion," for the word love^ so sublime, so deep, so exces-
sive when there is question of the majority of men, ex-
presses in a very cold manner the flame enkindled in her
heart. To sigh after contempt and humiliations, to
plunge into sufferings, was for her an ordinary thing.
She renewed her donation of self, making it more fully
than ever before, and by it delivering to the Heart of
Jesus her entire being in the present and in the future.
It was in these sentiments that she received the inspira-
tion to make a kind of last will and testament, in which
she abandoned to the Lord, to use as best pleased Him
and makeover to whom He wished, not only her prayers
and sufferings, her present merits, but even the prayers
and holy sacrifices that would be offered for her after
her death; thus despoiling herself of all merit in favor
of Him whom alone she loved. This testament con-
ceived and prepared, she had the courage to ask Mother
Greyfie to witness; for, as she said, she came on the
part of the Lord.
Mother Greyfie, by nature little given to such acts,
felt the importance of this one, and, encouraged by
Father de la Colombiere returns to Par ay. 209
Father de la Colombiere, enlightened by the miracle of
the Sister's cure and by other incidents in which she
had experienced her power with God, did not hesitate.
She herself wrote out the donation, and signed this
humble formula: " Sister Peronne-Rosalie Greyfie, at
present Superioress, and for whom Sister Margaret
Mary daily asks conversion with the grace of final peni-
tence."
This done, Sister Margaret Mary implored Mother
Greyfie to allow her, in turn, to sign, but with her
blood. The Mother having assented, Sister Margaret
Mary went to her cell, bared her breast, and, imitating
her illustrious and saintly foundress, cut with a knife
the name of Jesus above her heart. From the blood
that flowed from the wound she signed the act in these
words: " Sister Margaret Mary, Disciple of the Divine
Heart of the Adorable Jesus."
The world may see in this but foolishness and excess.
True; but it corresponds to other excesses more inex-
plicable still: here, the scourges of penance; there, the
blows of flagellation; here, the name of Jesus written
in bloody characters on the breast; there, the feet and
hands of the Saviour pierced, His Heart opened. Two
follies instead of one, and those of man obliged to yield
the palm to those of God ! But if worldlings sometimes
commit similar acts of foolishness for the love of crea-
tures, who are here to-day and away to-morrow, and who
at the very time they captivate our heart possess only a
shadow of perishable beauty, — why do they fail to com-
prehend such actions in regard to Him who is infinite
beauty, and whose only fault lies in this, that He hides
Himself under a veil ?
If He would raise it for a moment, the sight would at
once disturb our reason, and we should all experience
those extravagances of love, now the happy privilege of
only a few choice souls.
The Lord expressed His pleasure at the total gift that
2io Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Margaret had made of herself: "My Divine Master,"
she wrote, " testified to me great satisfaction at this act.
He told me that since His love had stripped me of every-
thing, He did not wish that I should have any other
riches than those of His Sacred Heart. 'I constitute
thee,' said He to me, ' the heiress of My Heart and of all
its treasures. I promise thee that assistance shall never
be wanting to thee till power is wanting to Me. Thou
shalt be forever its well-beloved disciple.' " ' He had
a word also for Mother Greyfie: " He promised to grant
her the same grace formerly bestowed upon St. Clare of
Montefalco; to clothe her actions in the infinite merits
of His own; and on account of the love she had mani-
fested for His Sacred Heart, to enable her to merit the
same crown." a " This gave me great consolation," Mar-
garet Mary adds, "for I loved her much, because she
nourished my soul generously with the delicious bread
of mortification and humiliation."
However, in the midst of the peace and joy that this
great act had procured her, the generous and fervent
Margaret Mary experienced one regret, namely, that the
letters of the holy name of Jesus, which she had en-
graven on her heart and which she wished to be as last-
ing- as her love, began, after some time, to grow faint,
and to disappear. Resting on the permission that she
had received, she tried once or twice to renew them by
opening the lines with a knife; but not succeeding ac-
cording to her liking, she determined to apply fire.
This she did, but so incautiously that she soon had rea-
son to fear having exceeded the limits of obedience.
Trembling and humbled, she went to acknowledge her
fault. Mother Greyfie, true to her custom, apparently
paid little attention to what Margaret said, but ordered
her in a few dry words to go to the infirmary and
show her wound to Sister Augustine Marest, who would
dress it. Margaret had not foreseen this increase of
1 M6moire, p. 34g. 9 Ibid.
Father de la Colombtere returns to Par ay. 211
humiliation. Must she, then, disclose to a simple Sister
the effects of love's holy ardor? And to what a Sister!
For Sister Augustine Marest's rough, strong nature held
such things in very low estimation.
Timid and blushing, Margaret Mary went to complain
to the Lord: " O my unique Love, wilt Thou suffer that
another should see the injury I have done myself for
love of Thee? Art Thou not sufficiently powerful to
heal me, Thou the Sovereign Remedy of all my evils ?"
Touched by her affliction, her good Master promised
that she should be cured the next day. This indeed
was the case; for next day, instead of bleeding wounds,
there remained only large scars. Meanwhile, Sister
Madeleine des Escures was sent to Margaret by Mother
Greyfie, who was less indifferent than she seemed. Pre-
occupied with the thought of what Margaret had told
her, she deputed this Sister to examine and report to her
the gravity of the statement. Sister des Escures accord-
ingly asked to see Margaret's wounded breast. The
latter, knowing herself to be cured, thought herself dis-
pensed from obeying, thanked the Sister graciously for
her proffered services, but refused to show it. It was
not thus, however, that Mother Greyfie understood the
matter. Informed of Margaret's refusal, she went to
her, reproved her sharply for disobedience, deprived her
of holy Communion for that day, — " which was for me,"
says Margaret, " the severest of all penances," — and com-
manded her to show her wounds to the Sister.1 Sister
Marie-Madeleine des Escures found them healed, though
the glorious scars were visible. The deep wounds had
disappeared, but the large, dry crusts forming the holy
name of Jesus were still there. The characters were of
unusual size and such as are impressed on very large
books.2
But Mother Greyfie's displeasure at obedience of this
1 Contemp., p. 140.
2 Process of 171 5, Deposition of Sister de Farges.
212 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
kind was nothing compared with that shown Margaret
by the Lord. He appeared to her with an angry air, re-
proached her for her fault, and for five days kept her at
His feet, without permitting her to raise her eyes for
one instant to His Sacred Heart. " I saw myself ban-
ished," she said, " under His feet, where for nearly five
days I did nothing but bewail my disobedience, and
ask pardon by continual penances." 1 She goes on: "In
punishment of this fault, Jesus told me that the impres-
sion of His holy name on my heart should never appear
exteriorly." And, in truth, after Margaret's death Sis-
ter des Escures, who had beheld the deep wounds, had
the holy curiosity to examine whether they still existed;
but there was no trace of them. " You were well in-
spired," wrote Mother Greyfie, who was then at Annecy,
" to examine whether the impression of the holy name
of Jesus which Margaret had engraven on her heart
remained. And that you assure me there is no trace
recognizable is to me a confirmation of the truth of the
favors vouchsafed her. For I know that, in punish-
ment of a certain fault, the Lord told her that this
sacred name should not appear exteriorly."2
Father de la Colombiere's health was not re-estab-
lished. He grew weaker every day. The lung trouble
contracted in the London prisons were little by little
conducting him to the grave. His Superiors sent him
to Paray, thinking that the mild, pure air of that little
valley would be favorable to him; but, in reality, he
came to die. His last sigh was to be a last approbation
of the sublime revelations of the Sacred Heart; and,
like a faithful witness sleeping at the feet of his Master,
his bones were to rest near the altar whereon Jesus
Christ had appeared. He arrived at Paray in the be-
ginning of August, 1681, and there his last six months
were passed. His life now was not much more than a
breath; but that breath was more and more inflamed
1 Memoire, p. 362. 2 Contemp.. p. 143.
Death of Father de la Colombiere. 213
with the pure love of God. He occupied himself with
the establishment of a hospital for the poor. His efforts
were successful, and his work still exists. He scattered
around him, though in vague terms and with extreme
reserve, all the pious practices that the Lord had de-
manded of His servant: the Holy Hour, Communion on
the first Friday of the month, and, above all, the observ-
ance of the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi.
" He had learned," he said, "from a very holy soul that
there were special graces for those who would be faith-
ful to these practices." He came from time to time to
say Mass at the Visitation, on that altar of whose extra-
ordinary sanctity he was almost the only one that knew,
and in secret to press his lips on that stone upon which
the feet of the Lord had rested. More rarely still, and
very discreetly, he visited Margaret Mary in the parlor,
to reanimate the fervor of his soul and carry away with
him a greater love of God.
It was thus his life came to a close. His death was
somewhat singular. The physicians, seeing that, far
from improving, he grew weaker every day, advised
him to return to his brother's home in Dauphiny. His
Superiors consenting, his departure was fixed for Jan-
uary 29, 1682. But to spare the invalid the emotion of
adieux to his numerous penitents, they agreed to keep
secret the day appointed for his departure. Only one
pious girl whom he guided and who was a friend of
Sister Margaret Mary, Mile, de Bisefrand, begged an
exemption in favor of the latter. Having obtained it,
she went to the convent to inform the saint of the
Father's projected departure on January 29th. Sister
Margaret Mary reflected for an instant and then, after
a moment's silence, commissioned Mile, de Bisefrand
to go to Father de la Colombiere and say to him from
her that, if he could postpone his departure without in
the least violating the orders of his Superiors, he should
not set out. Either fearing that her commission would
214 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
not be properly delivered, or not wishing to confide her
secret to any one, "she wrote a little note to the Father
and confided its delivery to Mile, de Bisefrand. Now,
this little note delayed the Father's plans, and he died
some days after."
Shortly after its receipt his fever increased, and on
February 15, 1682, at 7 o'clock, he died as the saints die
— holily in the Lord.
As soon as she heard of his death, Sister Margaret
Mary tried in every way to have the note she had sent
Father de la Colombiere returned to her. She sent
Mile, de Bisefrand for it. " But the Father Superior of
the Jesuits," said the latter in her deposition, " refused
to return it. He made me read it. The contents were:
* He has told me that He wishes the sacrifice of your
life in this country.' " ' Another witness, Sister de
Lyonne, confirms this fact, and adds some details.
She testified that she knew through Rev. Father Bour-
guignet, then Superior of the Jesuits, that the venera-
ble Sister, having learned that Father de la Colombiere's
brother had come to take him to his native air, warned
him by a note not to undertake this journey, that he
had something of more consequence to do soon, and
that it was at Paray that God wished the sacrifice of his
Jife.a Other attempts were again made by Sister Mar-
garet Mary to have returned to her this note that betrayed
her sanctity; but the Superior cut them short by de-
claring that he would rather give all the archives of the
house than return that note.3
God, who had revealed to Margaret Mary the death
of His servant, deigned also to reveal his glory. When
Mile, de Bisefrand went, February 16th, five o'clock in
the morning, to announce Father de la Colombiere's
death, which had taken place the evening before, she
1 Process of 171 5, Deposition of Mile, de Bisefrand.
* Process of 171 5, Deposition of Marie-Rosalie de Lyonne.
8 Contemp., p. 155.
Death of Father de la Colombiere. 215
could utter but one word. " Pray and get prayers every-
where for him." " But at one o'clock the same day,"
continues the latter in her deposition, " I received from
said Sister a note to this effect: 'Cease to grieve. In-
voke him; fear nothing. He is more powerful to assist
you than ever.' " ' And to Mother Greyfie, who was
astonished that Sister Margaret Mary had not asked
to impose upon herself some extraordinary penances,
her usual custom on the death of her acquaintances:
" Mother," said she, " he has no need of them. He is in
a state to pray for us, being, through the goodness and
mercy of the Sacred Heart of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
well fixed in heaven. Merely to satisfy for some negli-
gence in the exercise of divine love, his soul was de-
barred the sight of God from the time it left the body
until the moment it was laid in the tomb."2
This was not the only revelation that Margaret Mary
had of the supernal happiness of her holy director.
Some time after she had a celebrated vision, in which
God showed her, at one and the same time, the glory
of Father de la Colombiere and the double and distinc-
tive mission confided to the Visitation and the Society
of Jesus relative to the Sacred Heart. This page is of
the first importance in the history we are writing.
" He was, it seemed to me," wrote Margaret Mary, " in
a place very high and spacious, admirable for its beauty.
In the centre of it was a throne of flames upon which
was the loving Heart of Jesus, its wound shedding
forth rays so fiery and luminous that the whole place
was lighted and heated by them. The most Blessed
Virgin was on one side, and our holy Father St.
Francis de Sales on the other, with Father de la Colom-
biere. The daughters of the Visitation, each holding a
heart in her hand, were there also, their guardian
angels at their side.
1 Process of 171 5, Deposition of Mile, de Bisefrand.
' Contemp., p. 155.
*l6 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
"The Blessed Virgin spoke: ' Come, my beloved daugh-
ters/ she said, ' approach, for I wish to make you the
depositaries of this precious treasure?
" And showing them the Divine Heart, she said: ' Be-
hold this precious treasure. It is especially manifested
to you on account of the tender love my Son has for
your Institute, which He regards and loves as His dear
Benjamin. For this reason, He exacts more from it than
from all others. It must not only enrich itself with this
inexhaustible treasure, but endeavor with all its power
to distribute abundantly this precious money and try
to enrich the whole world with it.' "
Thus, according to the wording of this revelation,
God created the Visitation to guard the precious deposit
of the Sacred Heart, to be a fervent, recollected sanc-
tuary, in which they shall contemplate incessantly the
Heart of Jesus, in which every soul may enrich herself
from its inexhaustible treasury. This is the first end of
the Institute. But this is not all. If the Visitation
does not do this, it will fail in its mission. The
knowledge and love of the Sacred Heart, which it con-
templates in the sweetness of prayer, it must propagate
beyond its grates, that its light may shine everywhere.
// must, to the full extent of its power, distribute it, give it
abundantly to the world. It is not a favor that God con-
fers upon it, it is an order that He gives it. It mustj
that is to say, God restores to it, under a new form,
its first vocation. It again becomes a Visitation. But,
instead of carrying food and clothing to the poor, it
must carry to souls: to virgins hidden in solitude; to
apostles exhausting their strength in the labor of
preaching; to priests and bishops who grow gray with
the sad thought ever before them of the multitude of
sinners that are lost; — the Visitation must, we say,
carry to them the light, the consolation, the sublime
strength that flows abundantly from the Sacred Heart.
Behold why God has instituted the Visitation! Behold
Death of Father de la Colombtere. 2i*f
the mission He gives it! For the rest, silence, forget-
fulness, the hidden life; and for the Sacred Heart, an
incessant promulgation, an apostolic flame.
Such is the first part of this vision. The second is
not less memorable.
" Then turning toward Father de la Colombiere, the
Mother of mercy addressed him: 'And thou, faithful
servant of my Divine Son, thou hast a great part in this
precious treasure; for if it is given to the daughters of
the Visitation to make it known and loved, and to dis-
tribute it to others, it is reserved to the Fathers of thy
Society to make the value and utility of it understood,
so that they may profit by gratefully receiving a benefit
so immense. In proportion as they shall console the
Heart of Jesus, that Divine Heart, fruitful source of
graces and benedictions, will pour itself out so abun-
dantly on the functions of their ministry that they will
produce fruits above their hopes and labors; and the
same for the perfection and salvation of each one of
them in particular.' "
Thus, whilst the Visitation shall guard the deposit of
the Sacred Heart and distribute it through its grates to
enrich the world, the Fathers of the Society of Jesus will
be its teachers, its preachers, its doctors, to prepare the
way for it. Catechists, preachers, apologists, apostles,
and, if need be, martyrs of the Sacred Heart — this is to
be their part. Let not other religious Orders envy
them their privilege; for each has had its own. When,
in the Middle Ages, God inspired an humble religious
to exalt, more than preceding ages had done, devotion
to the Blessed Sacrament, He called to serve and aid
Him, as mouth-piece, as speaking-trumpet, the Order
of St. Dominic. After having established it the Order of
the Holy Rosary, He made of it the Order of the Holy
Eucharist; and far on to the threshold of eternity the
vaults of our cathedrals will re-echo the Dominican
hymns, Lauda Sion and Tantum Ergo. In like manner,
218 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
when God desired that Christians should wear on theii
breast, as a buckler, the name and habit of the Blessed
Virgin, He chose the Order of Carmel, and commis-
sioned it to propagate in the world and distribute every-
where the holy Scapular. He had previously confided to
the children of St. Francis the devotion to the Cross and
to the Five Wounds of Our Saviour. It was necessary
for each Order, in its laborious mission, to have its
arms, its banner, its means of action, and its burning
flame. However, that which belongs to some is not so
exclusively theirs that it cannot belong to all; for of
the love of Jesus, still more than of a mother's love, can
we say with the poet:
" Each has his own share, and all possess it entire."
Let us not be jealous of one another. In the grand
army of Jesus Christ, let us hold aloft our standard,
and desire only the happiness of making more con-
quests.
Father de la Colombiere's death took place February
15, 1682. It was the same year in which was held at
Paris the famous assembly of the French clergy con-
voked by Louis XIV. to consider the dangers menacing
Christendom. All were there united: power, genius*
eloquence, experience, popularity. And to what did
such efforts amount ? Their declaration in four ar-
ticles, whose least words have been so studied, so care-
fully weighed, so skilfully connected — to what purpose
have they served ? Only to increase, instead of avert-
ing, the danger. Whilst that assembly was being held,
an humble virgin in the solitude of an obscure convent,
directed by a poor religious, saw the true evil that
desolated the Church and society, and prepared herself
to show the world the only remedy for it.
Meanwhile Mother Greyfie's six years of Superiority
were nearing their term. She was to leave the convent
of Paray for that of Lemur in Auxerre, where she had
been elected Superioress. The Community of Paray
Death of Father de la Colombiere. 219
must think of replacing her. For the last eighteen
years the Sisters of Paray had sought a Superioress
beyond their own home. Paris had sent them Mother
Hersant; Dijon, Mother de Saumaise; and to Annecy
they were indebted for Mother Greyfie. , This time
they thought of seeking a good Superioress among
themselves. Their unanimous choice fell on a Sister
who had edified the Community of Paray for four-and-
thirty years. The only reproach that could be made to
Mother Marie-Christine Melin, whom they elected, was
that she was too kind — not a bad thing after the rather
severe reign of Mother Greyfie. But she was pious
and, moreover, dearly loved by our saint, whom for a
long time she had understood and almost divined, and
with whom she shared all the new devotions. Her
first act was to nominate Margaret Mary Assistant; and
shortly after, " as the incomparable sweetness of Mother
Marie-Christine diffused a delicious peace in the sacred
desert of holy religion," ' and novices came flocking in,
she confided to her the care of forming them to virtue.
It was there, in that little novitiate, in the midst of six or
seven young novices, pure as angels and all inflamed
with love of God, that was to escape from the heart of
Margaret the secret of love hidden therein for nine
V^ears.
1 Manuscript Annals of the Convent of Paray.
220 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
CHAPTER XII.
THE SAINTLY SISTER AMONG HER NOVICES— THE
SECRET OF THE SUBLIME REVELATIONS ESCAPES
HER IN SPITE OF HERSELF— FIRST PUBLIC ADORA-
TION OF THE SACRED HEART.
1684-1685.
" Adjuro vos, filiae Jerusalem, si inveneritis dilectum meum, ut nun-
tietis ei quia amore langueo. "
"I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved,
that you tell him that I languish with love." — Cant. v. 8.
" Adducentur regi virgines post earn. Afferentur in laetitia et ex-
nltatione; adducentur in templum regis."
" After her shall virgins be brought to the king. They shall be
brought with gladness and rejoicing: they shall be brought into the
temple of the king." — Psalm xliv. 15, 16.
tN appointing Sister Margaret Mary mistress of
novices, Mother Melin had yielded less to her own
attraction than to the requests made her by all
around. The sanctity of the humble Margaret Mary
was becoming known. Some young professed, about to
leave the novitiate, expressed their willingness to re-
main if she were given to them for mistress; and some
older religious solicited on the same condition the favor
of returning. Even one or two novices who had had
the happiness of conversing with her profited by the
kindness of Mother Melin humbly to express their
desire. They were nearing the hour in which Mar-
garet's sanctity was to pierce the last clouds.1
Let us see who composed the novitiate when Margaret
Mary- assumed its direction.
The eldest of the novices, Claude-Marguerite Billiet
1 Process of 1715, Deposition of Sister de Farges.
The Saintly Sister among her Novices. 221
©1 Paray, was the daughter of a physician, " the most
famous of the province," ' he who, at all hours, was by
the pillow of the saintly invalid, and who assisted at
her deathbed. Full of pleasantry and good-humor in
the world, Claude-Marguerite became in the cloister
" a purely interior soul," " a daughter of prayer and
silence, whose union with God and ardor for holy
Communion cannot be described." She was so on fire
with the divine flames of the Eucharist that she would
have overwhelmed herself with austerities for God's
sake, had she been permitted. Her hunger after them
was insatiable, and the sweetest pleasure one could
afford her was to grant them to her; they were the
most delicious refreshment. Bound in friendship with
Margaret Mary, enthusiastic over her virtues, she joy-
fully put herself under her direction, and began to run
with ardor in the odor of her perfumes. She was one
of the first to comprehend and relish devotion to the
Sacred Heart, one of the first to plunge into the love of
the Adorable Heart, and she was not slow in being
consumed by its flames.2
The second novice was Francoise-Rosalie Verchere.
She, too, was the daughter of a physician, and one of
thirteen brothers and sisters, all of whom, with the ex-
ception of two, consecrated themselves to God. Called
to the religious life, but not knowing into what Order,
Francoise, more than usually agitated, was walking one
day in a very pleasant garden belonging to one of her
relatives. She entered a summer-house and, to dispel
her weariness, opened a book that was lying on the
table. Happily, it was the life of our venerable Mother
de Chantal, and Francoise opened at the page that
records how the Celestial Lover had engraven His
name on St. de Chantal's heart. At that selfsame
moment He impressed Himself so strongly on that of
1 Circular of March 23, 1725.
2 Abridgment of the Life and Virtues of Sister Claude-Marguerite
Billiet.
222 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
this young lover that, feeling violently attracted by
His divine fire, she resolved to become a daughter of
the Visitation.1 Mother Greyfie joyfully received her,
and did not spare her trials to test her courage. Seeing
her valiant and intrepid under them, she resolved to
lead her to the summit of perfection. We may say that
there was scarcely any height which Francoise did not
ascend. Her chief attraction was the practice of the
almost uninterrupted presence of God, whence sprang
angelic modesty and recollection. Her exterior alone
inspired devotion. They compared her to St. Catherine
of Genoa. Margaret Mary loved her tenderly, and pre-
dicted one day that it would be in her arms that she
would die. This prediction was realized, as we shall
see, in a wonderful manner and contrary to all expecta-
tion. " As if the fire and ardor of the dying saint were
poured into the heart of our dear Sister Francoise*
Rosalie Verchere, having no longer the support of this
incomparable and virtuous friend, she gave herself up
entirely to the power of divine love, and on November
5, 1690, at the age of five-and-twenty, made a vow to do
all that she knew to be most perfect. Very far from
being embarrassed by her chains, she found them all her
life infinitely amiable. Nothing cost her; and as God
loves generous souls, He poured so many consolations
into her heart that, in the midst of crosses and auster-
ities the recital of which makes one tremble, she swam
as if in a stream of peace." a
Sister Verchere had a sister younger than herself,
also a novice, Peronne-Marguerite Verchere, whose
biography we have not been able to find. She was very
fervent, lively, and intelligent. At first she disputed
a little with God the full possession of her heart. It
was she who, speaking of Margaret Mary, said one day
1 Circular of March 23, 1725.
2 Ibid. Abridgment of the Life and Virtues of Sister Francoise-
Rosalie Verchere.
The Saintly Sister among her Novices. 223
to her sister: " Let us take care, else she'll make us more
pious than we wish to be."
Francoise-Rosalie Verchere had a companion, born
like herself at Marcigny, and led by her example to the
Visitation. She was called Peronne-Rosalie de Farges.
Friends in the world, yet more so in the cloister; novices
together, and both disciples tenderly loved by Blessed
Margaret Mary, they held her when dying, their arms
entwined about her. They guarded her memory; they
collected and preserved her letters; they wrote her life.
They are deserving of our eternal gratitude, especially
Peronne-Rosalie de Farges, who prevented Margaret
Mary from throwing into the fire her invaluable Me-
moire, as she had done all her other writings. Peronne's
act thus preserved to the Church the crowning monu-
ments of Margaret's sanctity, and the only one, per-
haps, that gives us to know a little the greatness of her
soul.
At the age of seven Peronne-Rosalie de Farges made
a vow of chastity. Shortly after, under the direction of
Father de la Colombiere, who prepared her for it, she
made her first Communion, " like an angel." She en-
tered the Visitation at sixteen, in spite of the opposition
of her family, one of the best and richest of the country.
From her entrance she was confided to Margaret Mary,
whom she closely imitated in the greatness of her cour-
age and heroic virtue. Like her she had engraved on
her heart the holy name of Jesus, to testify to God the
vehemence of her love. She plunged so deeply into that
holy love, she exercised on herself such cruelties, and
practised such charity toward her neighbor, — for "to
that noble end she turned her too fiery temperament," —
that she made continual progress in perfection. Though
so closely imitating the actions of her holy mistress
she still preserved her own individuality. " For a long
time she was regarded by her companions as a St.
Jerome, who granted nothing to nature, neither to her-
224 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
self nor to others. In this she differed from our saint-
ly Sister Margaret Mary, whose demeanor was gentle
and humble, as if seeking the centre of her own nothing-
ness; who never censured any one; and who insensibly
gained hearts by the honey of her words."
We cannot recount the numerous victories Peronne
gained over her sprightly and ardent temper, having
taken for device, "To conquer or to die." She saw
nothing but duty, and like a heroine she tried to fulfil
it. The sword was ever in her hand to conquer her
passions, which would have been very turbulent had
she not repressed them. She came out so victorious
from the struggle that, at the close of her life, " she
passed in the town for a second Margaret Mary," and
when she died " the people ran to her funeral to see the
saint." ■
To the four novices to whom we have now introduced
our readers we must add three others not unworthy of
a place in society so holy and so amiable: Marie-Fran-
coise Bocaud de la Clayette, who died young, leaving us
few reminiscences; Marie-Christine Bouthier de Semur
en Brionnais, whose religious life was inaugurated by
a miracle. Having suffered during her novitiate from
weakness so great that she appeared to be pining away,
she received from Margaret on her profession day the
command to ask God for her cure. Pale and debili-
tated, Marie-Christine prostrated under the pall, and
rose from beneath it full of strength and vigor, her
countenance glowing with the hue of health. Marie-
Nicole de la Faige des Claines was the seventh, and she
left in the Community a memory both sweet and last-
ing. She was Margaret Mary's child of predilection, —
her "little St. Louis of Gonzaga," as she called her.
u Beautiful and graceful; looked upon in her family as a
1 Circular of March 23, 1725. Abridgment of the Life and Virtues
of our dear Sister Peronne- Rosalie de Farges. See, also, Annee
Sainte, vol. v. p. 282.
Picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as originally painted at
the Novitiate of Paray-le-Monial in 1685, and presented in
1738 to the Convent at Turin, where it is still preserved.
The Saintly Sister among her Novices. 225
little prodigy; flattered by her parents, whose house she
ruled at the age of ten; idolized by her grandmother,
— great was the astonishment when, at the age of four-
teen, she asked to enter the Visitation, and with such
persistence that the permission had to be granted." At
fifteen she took the holy habit, and began her noviceship
under the direction of Margaret Mary. Such were her
fervor and angelic modesty that our saint, so strict and
so enlightened, allowed her to pronounce her vows at
the age of sixteen, and she herself placed the sacred
veil on her head. Shortly after, though so young, she
made a vow to do what was most perfect. Full of talent,
of grace, of sweetness, skilled in every sort of employ-
ment, she did everything with ravishing tranquillity.
Her innocence and candor were remarkable. She was
so like an angel that her companions used to say laugh-
ingly that God had lent her a body. This was, perhaps,
the foundation of the predilection Margaret always had
for her. Most delicate privilege, which recalls that of
the beloved disciple, and forms the most beautiful eulo-
gium of this dear novice. At the moment of death
Margaret Mary sent for her, " wishing to have this little
angel at her pillow."1
In the midst of these young novices, we must rank
apart a religious older than they. Though professed
in 1680, and having already filled some important
charges in the house, she so earnestly solicited permis-
sion to return to the novitiate, that good Mother Melin
knew not how to refuse her. This was Sister Anne-
Alexis de Mareschalle, a singularly grand soul. She
had been born in Calvinism, of one of the oldest and
noblest families. Dissatisfied with the course of things,
its members, through a spirit of opposition and the hope
of reform, threw themselves into heresy. When her
father, who wished to return to the true faith, which he
lef* *nly through complaisance to his wife, was dead;
Circular of April 17, 1746. Ann6e Sainte, vol. ix. p. 727,
226 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque,
and when the latter, who had violently opposed her
weak husband's conversion, had, through the persuasive
voice of Father de la Colombiere, abjured heresy; in
order to induce her daughter Anne-Alexis to follow her
example, she took her secretly to the Visitation under
pretext of placing her there as a pupil. The child, per-
ceiving her mother's design, burst into a fury. She
poured out torrents of abuse, and laying her head on
the trunk of a tree, cried out with all her strength:
" Cut off my head. I would rather die than be made a
papist and remain with these wolves and demons of re-
ligious." The Sisters thought for a time that they
would be obliged to send the child back to her mother.
She scoffed at everything. When in church, she turned
her back to the Blessed Sacrament; when in the garden,
she climbed the highest trees, and throwing a rope on
the walls, tried to scale them. Such she was then:
ardent, energetic, passionate; such she was on the day
of her conversion and abjuration. True stroke of
Heaven! It was not enough for her to be a religious;
she flung herself headlong and fearlessly into what was
highest and holiest in religion or most appalling in vir-
tue. Mother Greyfie did not spare her trials, " giving
her even extraordinary ones, but they cost Sister Anne-
Alexis nothing at all." Never was she more joyous than
when most overwhelmed by them. Were we to detail
the austerities that she imposed upon herself, their
number would be almost infinite. She never laid aside
her iron cincture, not even when watching by the sick,
helping in the washing, or performing other labors yet
more painful. She sang the entire Office with this in-
strument of penance around her waist; she even slept
with it, " so natural to her were corporal macerations."
With all this, she exhibited the greatest contentment.
A certain joyousness shone in her countenance, and
glided into her conversation, which was always gay and
holily recreative. She composed couplets and very
The Saintly Sister among her Novices. 227
beautiful canticles to animate herself to new fervor.
She was the bestjfriend in the world, and the most obedi-
ent of daughters to her Superioress; for she was like a
ball of wax in the hands of God and of those who held
His place. It was she whom " they could put into all
employments great and small, without either elevating
or lowering her." She had been a religious seven
years when she asked to return to the novitiate, where
she was the astonishment and spur of the young Sisters.
Such was the novitiate of Paray at the time that Mar-
garet Mary assumed its direction, such were the souls
confided to her care. They were worthy of having a
saint for mistress; and she, inflamed with the love of
God, and desirous of enkindling it in all breasts, could
not wish for material better prepared. Indeed, hardly
had she entered upon her charge when, to use the ex-
pression of the old Memoires, she " enkindled the fire of
divine love in all those hearts so well disposed." ' She
animated them by her words, whilst her example led
them to emulate her. Sometimes she simply explained
to them the Rule or the observances, but in such
atone, with unction so penetrating, that every difficulty
seemed at once to disappear. " Although," said Sister
de Farges, "we had learned all these observances from
three mistresses who had preceded her, our venerable
Sister explained them to us with a clearness and unc-
tion altogether heavenly. Her words seemed to flow
from the Heart of Jesus, and they delightfully facilitated
virtue."2 " Sometimes she spoke to them of the love of
God. But," says Sister Verchere, " He whom she had
on her lips was nothing compared to Him whom she had
in her heart. Hers was a passionate love for God. At
every instant she gave utterance to such cries as: 'Oh,
if you knew how sweet it is to love God! Oh, what is
there that we cannot cheerfully suffer for the love of
our neighbor!' She returned so frequently to this point
1 Circular of March 23, 1725. 5 lb.
228 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
that we compared her to the beloved disciple, St. John
the Evangelist. The ardor of her charity inflamed her
with the purest zeal, and she often said that she would
willingly suffer every torment to save one soul." '
Again, it was on humility or self-forgetfulness that she
entertained her novices. But " her sweet and lowly
exterior, abased even to the centre of her nothingness,"
spoke more eloquently than any discourse. " It was a
pleasure," says Sister des Claines, " to see her reproved
by her Superioress. It would be impossible to receive
a correction with truer humility. The tears that she
shed over her least faults impressed the beholder with
the idea that she was dead to self-love and absolutely
given up to the love of God." 2
Ordinarily she spoke to them of the Sacred Heart.
She so timid, and who, " through natural reserve, never
mentioned a word about it to the Community, nor to
her friends, of whom she counted a large number, nor
even to the Superioress or ordinary confessor,"3 gave
free vent to her heart in the midst of this amiable and
pious band. Without saying anything of the revela-
tions with which she had been honored, but upon which
she maintained inviolable silence, she spoke to them
of the Adorable Heart of Jesus, of its beauty, of the
treasures it contains, of the graces with which it will
inundate those that study, adore, and love it. She
could say all that without betraying herself. In speak-
ing thus, she was imitating her Father, St. Francis de
Sales: and who has spoken better of the Heart of Jesus
than he ? She was imitating, likewise, her Mother St.
de Chantal: and who has more piously contemplated
and comprehended the beauty of Jesus' Heart than she
and the first Mothers of the Visitation ? In speaking
thus, Margaret Mary went not beyond the purest spirit,
the most venerable traditions of her Order.
1 Ann6e Sainte, vol. ix. p. 215.
9 Circular of April 17, 1746. 3 lb.
The Saintly Sister among her Novices. 229
God seemed, besides, to multiply at this time His
revelations to her. She understood more and more
clearly the Adorable Heart of Jesus, and it imparted to
her words that warmth, that light, that fire which rises
without effort to the lips of an emotional and enthu-
siastic person. They recall the character of the sub-
limest revelations of the Sacred Heart, — the Lord ap-
pearing to her in glory on the altar, His breast open,
and His Heart palpitating with love. Later, as if God
had wished to concentrate her regards on the Heart
itself, it began to appear to her alone, on a throne, and
amid dazzling light. "Once," said she, "the divine
Heart was represented to me on a throne of fire and
flames, transparent as crystal, more brilliant than the
sun, and radiating beams on all sides. The wound it
received on the cross was visible. Around the Sacred
Heart was a crown of thorns, and above it a cross."
"The Lord," she adds, "assured me that He takes
particular pleasure in being honored under the figure of
His Heart of flesh. He wished a picture of it to be
publicly exposed, that it might touch the insensible
hearts of men; and He promised me that He would
pour out abundantly on all that honored it the treas-
ures of grace with which it is filled. Wherever this im-
age shall be exposed, it will bring down all sorts of
benedictions." '
At another time Margaret Mary had a still clearer reve-
lation. To excite her to ask with more importunity for
the adoration of men, God made her contemplate the
adorations of the angels. " One day, when we were all
working together picking hemp, I retired into a little
corner, to be nearer the Blessed Sacrament. There my
God lavished upon me the greatest graces. Whilst
doing my work, I suddenly became perfectly recollected,
interiorly and exteriorly. The Adorable Heart of my
Jesus, more brilliant than a sun, was present to me. It
1 Contemp., p. 87.
230 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
was in the midst of the flames of His pure love, and
surrounded by seraphim, who sang in ravishing har-
mony: ,
" ' Love triumphs, love enjoys;
The love of the Sacred Heart gladdens! '
" The blessed spirits invited me to join with them in
praising the amiable Heart, but I dared not do it. Then
they told me that they had come to unite with me in
rendering it a continual homage of love, adoration, and
praise, and at the same time they wrote this association
in the Sacred Heart, in letters of gold and ineffaceable
characters of love. This favor lasted two or three hours.
All my life I have felt its effects, as well by the assistance
I received from it as by the sweetness that it infused into
my being and which its remembrance always produces
in me. I remained abyssed in confusion. Henceforth
in praying to the angels, I could no longer mention
them but as my associates." '
Such visions were frequently vouchsafed Margaret
Mary. " Ever)'- first Friday of the month," she says,
" the Sacred Heart of Jesus was represented to me as a
brilliant light, whose rays fell on my heart and inflamed
it with a fire so ardent that it seemed as if about to be
reduced to ashes." 2
This, then, is what Jesus showed to Margaret Mary in
her luminous ecstasies, — a Heart: a Heart palpitating
with love! She sees only that! In heaven and on
earth — adorable spectacle! — all is contained in a Heart!
Some religions have been made for the adoration of
wisdom; others — oh error! — for the adoration of happi-
ness, even pleasure; and others, more degrading still,
have been made for the worship of human strength.
They all deceive themselves. Love only is adorable!
Even sanctity, before which the Jews prostrated in
the midst of the thunderbolts of Sinai, before which the
cherubim veiled themselves with their wings, has not
1 Contemp., p. 75. s lb.
The Saintly Sister among her Novices. 231
the highest claim to man's adoration. Love wields the
sceptre.
It is love that has decreed that Christianity shall be
the eternal religion of humanity. "If I say to a man,
' I esteem you,' can I say to him anything else ?" cried
out a great orator one day. "Yes; for I can say to him,
'I venerate you.' And if I say to a man, 'I venerate
you,' can I say to him any more ? Have I in this word
exhausted my vocabulary ? No; I have still one thing
to say to him — one only, the highest of all. I can say
to him, 'I love you!' Ten thousand words may pre-
cede it, but none other of any language can follow it.
When one has said it once to a man, there is nothing
left but ever and ever to repeat to him that selfsame
word."1 In like manner, after power has been deified,
wisdom also may be divinized; but after that comes
love, and there ends the scale: we have nothing left
but to adore it forever.
What is the love that Christianity has been made to
adore ? We may have remarked what our saint said
when the Heart of Jesus was shown to her on a throne
of fire and flames: " The wound that it had received was
visible, and there was a crown of thorns around the
Divine Heart." This vision frequently presented itself
to her, and this character of immolation and of sacrifice
was impressed upon her under a thousand forms.
" Once," said she, " this loving Heart was shown me
transpierced and torn with blows." 8 Another time it
appeared to her " pierced with light, like a fathomless
abyss, opened by an immeasurable arrow." s " Gener-
ally the thorns of the crown surrounded the Heart so
closely and pressed it so violently that it was wounded
in every part, and the blood flowed in streams."4 This
was the meaning of the divine words of the Imitation :
Et sine dolore non vivitur in amore / " Without sorrow
there is no living in love."*
1 Contemp. , p. 54. * lb. » lb. 4 lb.
8 Imitation of Christ, bk. in- rh- ■»
232 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Admirable thing! There are in the heart two poles:
one by which we enjoy, and one by which we suffer.
Of these two poles, one is meant to last forever. We
shall carry it with us into eternity, for it is that by
which we enjoy. But who would believe it? Here be-
low, on this sad earth, it must scarcely ever be brought
into action. It is full of peril to the soul. It is neither
great nor productive of great things. If one aspires to
glory, to genius, withdraw this pole from the heart, —
this divine pole, this celestial pole, by which we en-
joy. Its hour is not yet come. It can achieve nothing
here below but low and vulgar things. The laurel
crown has ever rested on wounded foreheads, and the
aureola of sanctity has never encircled any but crucified
hearts. How beautiful, then, were these visions in
which Margaret perceived, not only a Heart, but a
Heart wounded, a Heart bruised, a Heart crowned and
bleeding! She knew not how to detach herself from
it. Her soul was never satiated with this vivifying
sight, and her longest hours were employed in contem-
plating that wounded Heart, and trying to understand
the ravishing mystery it proclaimed of immolation and
of sacrifice.
This was not, however, the only form under which
the Sacred Heart was shown to Margaret Mary. There
were others, also very beautiful, which incessantly reap-
peared: " a burning furnace;" ' " a furnace of love;" 2 " a
lover attracting souls;" " an abyss into which the soul
must plunge in order to be regenerated."3 Sometimes
Margaret Mary saw cold souls, frozen souls approach
that furnace; and when about to warm themselves,
they suddenly and foolishly took flight and lost them-
selves in darkness. She saw others come to the Heart
of Jesus, cold, stunted, and deformed. On approaching
it they were enlightened and inflamed, and they ended
by losing themselves in it like sparks in a furnace. One
1 Contemp., p. 90. 2 lb., p. 193. 3 lb., p. 49
The Saintly Sister among her Novices. 233
*
day the Heart of Jesus appeared to her under this form
of a burning furnace, into which two other hearts has-
tened to plunge. At the same moment she heard a voice
saying to her: " Thus does My pure love unite these
three hearts forever!" She knew that it was the heart
of her holy director and her own that thus abyssed
themselves in the Heart of Jesus.1
These visions passed at every moment before her eyes,
raising her above the earth, making her a prophetess,
and revealing to her the secrets of souls and the laws of
a superior world. As in nature there is for the visible
universe a centre of gravity around which revolve all
the celestial bodies, now impelled toward it, now held
back from it, thus governed by a double force that
everywhere establishes harmony; so is there a centre of
gravity in the moral universe, spotless and immovable
amidst the tumult of the world : and that is the Heart
of Jesus. There is only this difference between it and
the attractive forces that govern the stars; the latter,
though borne to their centre by attraction, are happily
restrained by centrifugal force; but souls must break
loose from this second force, this egoism, this person-
ality, that they may allow themselves to be carried to
the Heart of Jesus and therein abyssed, for there will
be no order, no happiness, until all are lost in it.
This is what the saintly Sister saw. Can we marvel
that she passed entire nights in contemplation, and
that, when left on her knees at the foot of the tabernacle
at seven o'clock in the evening, she was found next
morning in the same position, immovable and ecstatic ?
But can any one imagine what must then have been her
words, the light of her countenance, the ardor, the pas-
sion of her sentiments, and the inflamed eloquence that
flowed from her lips ? However, discreet, and mistress
of herself, having learned from the Holy Book that one
should not divulge " the secret of the king," Margaret
1 Contemp., p. 90.
234 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Mary said nothing of her sublime revelations. If forced
to speak, she did so vaguely and obscurely. One day,
when Sister de la Farges, in the simplicity that belongs
to the true Visitandine, asked her what she was doing
on her knees perfectly immovable for so many long
hours before the Blessed Sacrament, Margaret Mary
merely replied that she was wholly occupied with the
sorrows of Jesus in His Passion. But the young novice
insisting, received the reply: "Whether I have or have
not a body at that time, I should find it hard to say."
On another occasion, walking with Sister Claude-Mar-
guerite Billiet, and passing near the little cluster of
hazel-trees: " There," said she to her, " behold a spot
redolent of graces for me! It is here that God made
known tome the happiness of suffering, by the knowledge
He has given me of His Passion." And to Sister Ver-
chere, who had fallen suddenly ill in consequence of
the significant prohibition to Margaret Mary to make
the Holy Hour, she revealed for her consolation the
secret of her prayer on the night between Thursday and
Friday, and of her Communion of the first Friday of
the month.1 There was undoubtedly nothing in all
this that could betray the secret of the grand revela-
tions of the Sacred Heart. But as time went on it be-
came more evident to all that God favored Sister Mar-
garet Mary with singular graces. At this period of the
divine manifestations, although nothing definite was
known, it was clear that a word, a single word, the least
imprudent word, would suffice to reveal all, to throw
light upon the obscure presentiments brooding in all
souls. This was just what happened, and behold in
what way:
There had been two consecutive providential lights:
one weak, but which aroused attention; the other abso-
lutely brilliant, and which banished all doubts.
Sister Peronne-Rosalie de Farges, who was going
1 Annee Sainte, vol. ix. p. 216.
The Secret of the Revelations Escapes Her. 235
into retreat, went to ask her mistress on what she should
make her prayer during it. Margaret Mary gave her
a book to help her. "In this book," says Sister de
Farges, " she had by mistake left a note written
by her own hand, and in very nearly these terms:
' The Lord made me understand this evening at prayer that
He desires to be known, loved, and adored by men; that for
this end He will communicate many graces to them when they
shall have consecrated themselves to love and devotion toward
His Sacred Heart' " l We may well believe that Sister
de Farges failed not to show this note to her dear com-
panions of the novitiate, and that by it Margaret Mary's
reputation for sanctity increased. Her novices now be-
gan to suspect that it was not in books that she had
learned what she said of the Adorable Heart of Jesus.
Shortly after, an absolutely unforeseen event raised
the veil. We must recall the fact that Father de la
Colombiere was now dead two years, February 15, 1682.
Among his papers had been found notes written during
a retreat. These notes were so redolent of sanctity;
they furnished so beautiful an idea of his great soul;
they might, besides, be so useful to the pious in gen-
eral, that the Jesuits resolved to publish them. The
work appeared at Lyons, under this title: "Spiritual
Retreat of Rev. Father Claude de la Colombiere:" and,
naturally enough, one of the first copies was sent to the
Visitation of Paray. The good Mother Melin, before
reading it herself, had it read aloud in the refectory,
wishing thus to gratify more quickly the pious desires
of all the Sisters. The little volume, which had excited
veritable enthusiasm in the Community, was almost
finished when the reader stumbled unexpectedly upon
a certain passage; and, strange to say, Sister de Farges
was reader that day. After saying that, should it please
God to restore him to health, he resolved to promote
with all his strength devotion to the Blessed Sacrament,
1 Process of 1715, Deposition of Sister de Farges.
236 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Father de la Colombiere added these words, which the
Sister read with ever-increasing devotion:
" I have recognized that God wishes me to serve Him
by furthering the accomplishment of His desires con-
cerning a devotion He has suggested to a person to whom
He has communicated Himself very intimately, and to serve
whom He has graciously pleased to make use of my weakness.
I have already taught it to many in England. I have
written of it in France, and implored one of my friends
to endeavor to make it appreciated. It will be very use-
ful to them, and the great number of chosen souls in
that Community makes me think that its practice in
that holy house will be very agreeable to God. Why,
my God, cannot I everywhere publish what Thou dost
expect from Thy servants and friends ?
"God, then, having revealed Himself to a person
who, from the great graces that He has given her,
we have reason to believe, according to His Heart, she
explained them to me, and I obliged her to put in
writing all that she told me. I have much desired to
write it myself in the journal of my retreats, because
the good God wishes, in the execution of this design,
to make use of my poor services.
" ' Being before the Blessed Sacrament during one of
its octaves,' said that holy soul, ' I received from my
God some most sublime graces of His love. I was filled
with the desire of making Him some return, and of
rendering Him love for love; but He said to me: Thou
canst never do anything greater for Me than what I have
already so many times asked thee. And exposing to me His
Divine Heart, See this Heart, said He, which has loved men
so much that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and
consuming itself, in order to testify to them its love. In re-
turn I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by
reason of the contempt, irreverence, sacrilege, and coldness
that they show Me in this sacrament of love. But what 1
feel yet more is that there are some hearts consecrated to Me
The Saintly Sister among her Novices. 237
that treat Me thus. It is for this reason that I ask thee that
the first Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi be set
apart as a special feast to honor My Heart, by making an act
of reparation, and by communicating on thai day to repair the
indignities it sustained during the time of exposition on the
altars. I promise thee that My Heart will expand to pour
out abundantly the influence of its divine love upon all that
will render it this honor.'' "
We have said that Sister Peronne-Rosalie de Farges
was the reader. At the first word she divined all, and
cast a furtive glance at Margaret Mary, who sat facing
her in the refectory. " When," said she in her deposi-
tion, " I came to what concerned the revelation of the
Sacred Heart, I looked at the venerable Sister. She
was sitting with her eyes lowered and looking pro-
foundly annihilated." l The Community felt the same
emotion. " Not only deponent," continued Sister de
Farges, " but the Community understood then that it
was the said servant of God who had made these pre-
dictions."2
The young alone recoil not in the presence of what
would deter or awe others. On leaving the refectory,
Sister de Farges unhesitatingly approached the saint
with: "Aha! my dear Sister, haven't you heard your
manifestation in the reading to-day 3 to your heart's
content ?" What could Margaret Mary do before so
direct a question? Deny it ? Impossible! Acknowl-
edge it? Her humility forbade such a course. "Saint-
like she bowed her head, and replied that she had great
cause to love her abjection."4
From that moment the novices entertained no more
doubt on the subject. To them Margaret Mary was a
saint honored by most secret communication with the
1 Process of 1715, Deposition of Sister de Farges.
8 lb. s lb.
4 We are astonished that like facts have not yet been found in any
life of Margaret Mary.
238 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Lord. They divided among themselves little scraps of
her clothing, and when Sister Anne-Alexis de Mare-
schalle cut her hair, they eagerly strove for the relics.
It is also probable that from this day Sister Margaret
Mary maintained a little less reserve in her communi-
cations with her young novices. She regarded the reve-
lation made by Father de la Colombiere as provi-
dential, and the Friday after the octave of Corpus
Christi "she ventured to hang on the novitiate altar a
little pen-and-ink picture of the Sacred Heart." 1
The feast of the saintly mistress, July 20, 1685, was
now approaching, and the novices resolved to celebrate
it with pious solemnity, in accord with the sentiments
they entertained for her. Margaret Mary, noticing this
preparation, asked them smilingly if they desired to
make her very happy. Reading the answer in the glow-
ing countenances of her dear novices, she begged that all
the testimonies of affection they were preparing for her
should be offered to the Divine Heart of Jesus. The
novices understood, and in an instant changed their
plans. Under a stairway that led to the tower or bel-
fry, was an apartment large enough to accommodate a
little altar, and very capable of being transformed into
an oratory. Sister des Claines seized her brush, and
covered the walls, the ceilings, the rafters, the planks
with flowers and stars and fiery hearts that may still be
seen.2 They erected an altar, ornamented it with roses,
and placed in its centre the little picture of the Sacred
1 The original is at the Visitation of Turin. We read at the bottom:
1 ' This picture is the first ever venerated under the title of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus, in the novitiate of the Visitation convent of Paray."
The Heart is surrounded by a crown of thorns and surmounted by a
cross. Not knowing how to express the love that consumed it, the
opening with a lance is represented, and in the centre is written "Chari-
tas." Around the crown we read " Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Joachim,
Anne." We do not know whether this picture is by the hand of Mar-
garet Mary herself or by that of one of her novices.
3 AnnGe Sainte, vol. ix. p. 730.
First Public Adoration of the Sacred Heart. 239
Heart from the novitiate. With Mother Melin's con-
sent they had noiselessly employed part of the night in
this work. In the morning, however, they were less for-
tunate ; for having advanced their duties, in the refec-
tory, in their eager joy, they forgot themselves a little,
and thus attracted the attention of some of the deai
Sisters. Informed by them of what was taking placet
Mother Melin went to seek the novices. But they soon
gave her reasons so good for what she had heard that
she went away satisfied, and the little troop finished
their humble preparations in peace.
At nine o'clock, Prime being over, Margaret Mary
went to the novitiate, whence, without saying a word,
she was led to the little oratory. Surprised and de-
lighted, she thanked her dear novices for the joy they
gave her. Radiant, and with the ardor of a seraph, she
addressed to them some glowing words; and then, pros-
trating before the picture, her example followed by the
novices, she publicly consecrated herself to the Sacred
Heart. Each of the novices did the same, repeating in
turn the words of the formula Margaret Mary had used.
After this she invited them to retire awhile with her
into solitude, there to write the sentimenis with which
they had just been penetrated, promising them to add a
word below their act of consecration. The whole morn-
ing was thus piously and joyously passed.
After the noon-obedience Margaret Mary again re-
united her novices around the little altar. She was even
more radiant than in the morning, the happiness of her
holy soul beaming in her countenance. She congratu-
lated her novices, and blessed God. In her transports
of love, she would have wished the rest of the Com-
munity to come to offer their homage to the Heart of
her good Master.'
Hearing her speak thus, the amiable and impetuous
$ister Verchere hurried off to the Sisters, who were walk-
1 Contemp., p. 206.
240 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
ing in the garden, related to them what was taking
place in the novitiate, and begged them to come offer
their homage to the Heart of Jesus. But she was rather
ungraciously received. " As they were daughters of
strict observance," wrote their contemporaries, "to whom
this just proposition was made, they sent her back
more quickly than she had come, telling her that it was
not the province of little novices to introduce novelties,1
and quoted a point of the Rule by which such things
are absolutely prohibited." 2 Sister Verchere said, also,
in her deposition : " The most exact were decidedly the
most opposed, because they feared novelty." 3
Of this number was Sister Catherine-Augustine Ma-
rest, renowned for the ardor of her penance, frequently
carried to heroism; Sister Marie-Seraphique de la Mar-
tiniere, always recollected as an angel, and so tenderly
united to God that our old Memoires say she died of
love ; finally, and especially, Sister Marie-Madeleine
des Escures, whom the contemporary manuscripts call
" the saintly Mother Marie-Madeleine." 4 It was she
who was most persistent in her refusal, " although she
was the intimate friend of their incomparable mistress." *
1 Contemp., p. 208.
2 Constitutions of the Visitation, Constitution XVIII. "Now, as
human minds are apt to take a secret complacency in their own con-
ceits, even under a pretext of devotion or of an increase of piety ; and
as it nevertheless happens at times that a multiplicity of offices hinders
due attention, alacrity, and reverence, the Community shall not be
allowed, under any pretext whatever, to charge itself with any other
Office, or ordinary prayers, but those that are assigned in these Con-
stitutions and in the Directory. For thus it will be better qualified and
better able to say and sing the Office with that gravity and respect now
observed in it."
3 Process of 171 5.
4 Contemp., p. 208.
5 ' • Abridgment of the Life and Virtues of our dear Sister Marie-
Elizabeth de la Salle." She was placed under the direction of our very
honored Sister Marie-Madeleine des Escures, one of the best friends 0/
our saintly Sister Alacoque, who always regarded her as a true
saint.
First Public Adoration of the Sacred Heart. 241
" Go say to your mistress," she replied to Sister Ver-
chere, " that the best devotion is the practice of our
Rules and Constitutions ; and that that is what she
ought to teach you and the others to practise well."
Little Sister Verchere did not expect this reception ;
she was, consequently, much astonished and embar-
rassed. However, not to sadden her mistress on such a
day, she merely said, on returning, that the Sisters could
not come.
" Say, rather," quickly responded Margaret, " that
they will not come. But the Sacred Heart will force
them to render it homage." And alluding to Sister
Marie-Madeleine, she continued : " There are some now
opposed to it, but the time will come when they will be
the first to forward the devotion." This, indeed, hap-
pened in the most unexpected manner before the end
of the year.
Margaret Mary was in reality right in calling the
whole Community to render homage to the Heart of
Jesus, because she had received that commission from
God. In refusing to go, Mother Marie-Madeleine had
done no wrong ; for Margaret Mary's mission was not
yet vouched for by any one, — not by the Pope, the de-
finitive and sovereign judge of devotions in the Church;
nor by the diocesan bishop, the judge in the first in-
stance, nor even by Margaret Mary's Superiors. Mother
Marie-Madeleine waited, then, faithful guardian of the
Rules, holding to them, and doing well to hold to them,
since she was not yet authorized to stray from them ;
although, assuredly, if she had looked into them a little
more carefully, and if she had had a broader and more
liberal mind, she would have understood that this de-
votion came forth from the very bowels of Christianity;
or, without going so far, she would have found it born
of the books of even St. Francis de Sales and St. Chan-
tal. But though very holy, Mother Marie-Madeleine
rose not so high. In this house she represented the
242 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
positive side, the practical and literal interpreta-
tion : and in that is contained all that is absolutely nec-
essary to a Community. It is, moreover, the most se-
cure, provided its members acknowledge that God can
make exceptions, and know how to submit to them when
the trial shall be made. This will happen at the time
fixed, and will crown saintly Mother Madeleine with an
aureola most pure. After having resisted so long as the
will of God was not manifested to her by the voice of
her Superiors, she was the first to submit after they had
spoken. We shall see her prostrating before the Sacred
Heart, bringing after her the entire Community, and
making a public consecration, which will at the same
time be an act of contrition and reparation.
The rest of the day was passed in the novitiate in
peace and recollection almost heavenly. That evening
Margaret Mary again assembled her novices. She ap-
peared to them as if transfigured. The manuscript here
repeats an expression already used twice before, and
which better than any other conveys the general impres-
sion : " She looked like a seraph." It is probable that
with prophetic gaze she saw far ahead of her own age.
In this little novitiate adoration she beheld similar acts
multiplied in the future ; she saw them become uni-
versal and perpetual, rewarming the Church, saving
France, and bringing to God new and greater accidental
glory.
Good Mother Melin had sanctioned this feast; but
seeing how it was received in the Community, she now
believed it her duty prudently to efface it. She was a
peace-loving soul, unequalled in sweetness, her great con-
descension gaining for her the title of a true daughter
of St. Francis de Sales, a title acquired by the imitation
of the great saint's virtues.1 That evening, therefore,
the novices having retired, she went to find Margaret
1 Contemp., p. 210.
First Public Adoration of the Sacred Heart, 243
Mary ; and, though permitting her to adore and teach
the Heart of Jesus in the novitiate, yet, in order to
calm minds, she forbade her to do anything that could
attract the attention of the Community.
Margaret Mary obeyed : first, because she always
obeyed; and secondly, because, having cast a look on the
Adorable Heart of her good Master, she thought she
heard a voice that said to her : " Fear nothing, My
daughter. I shall reign in spite of My enemies and
those that wish to oppose Me." ! Of enemies He
had none in the convent, since " it was the most ex-
emplary ; " though there were some that, " fearing nov-
elty, made opposition." We shall not be slow, however,
to meet them in the world ; and the way in which the
Heart of Jesus will triumph over them, and " reign in
spite of them," will furnish the greatest proof that the
finger of God is here.
1 Contemp., p. 211.
2 44 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE APOSTOLATE OF THE SACRED HEART BEGUN—
WITH WHAT MODESTY AND ZEAL MARGARET MARY
BEGINS TO SPREAD DEVOTION TO THE SACRED
HEART.
1686-1689.
" Ite, angeli veloces, ad gentem convulsam et dilaceratam; ad popu-
lism terribilem, post quem non est alius; ad gentem expectantem et
conculcatam, cujus diripuerunt flumina terram ejus."
"Go, ye swift angels, to a nation rent and torn in pieces: to a
terrible people, after which there is no other : to a nation expecting and
trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled." — Isaias
xviii. 2.
" Trahe me, post te curremus in odorem unguentorum tuorum."
" O Heart of Jesus, draw me! We will run after Thee to the odor
of thy ointments." — Cant. i. 3.
JTTN asking Sister Margaret Mary to desist for the
JjL present from any effort to spread the new devotion
in the Community, Mother Melin had not forbid-
den her to labor at making it known outside the grate.
The hour was come. Margaret Mary was more and
more consumed with love of the Adorable Heart. This
divine fire, having been restrained so long, must now be
allowed to burn unchecked. With the Lord, Margaret
Mary might have said: " I am come to bring fire on the
earth."
At the beginning of this year, 1686, she wrote: " It
seems to me that I can breathe only to increase devotion
to the Heart of Jesus. He sometimes enkindles in my
heart so great a desire to make it reign in all other hearts
that there is nothing I would not wish to do and suffer
for this end. Even the pains of hell, without sin, would
The Apostolate of the Sacred Heart begun. 245
be sweet to me." 1 " I am no longer able to occupy my-
self with any other thought than that of the Sacred
Heart of my Jesus. I should die content could I procure
it any honor, even should my efforts bring me as recom-
pense only eternal pain. Provided I love Jesus and
that He reigns, it is enough for me. Contradiction
often made me almost resolve to cease speaking of His
Heart; but I was so severely reproved for my vain fears,
and afterwards so strengthened and encouraged, that I
have determined, whatever it may cost me, to pursue
my purpose to the end. But if obedience should not
permit me, I shall stop; for to it I defer all my views
and sentiments." 2 " Life is to me so heavy a cross that
I can find no consolation in it, excepting that of seeing
the Heart of my Saviour reign. For this there is nothing
that I would not wish to suffer." 3
The first two of the foregoing extracts are from a
letter addressed to Mother Greyfie, who, after leaving
Paray in 1684, had been nominated Superioress of the
Visitation of Semur-en-Auxois. The third is taken from
a letter to Mother deSaumaise, who was then Superior-
ess at Dijon. Mother de Saumaise had passed three years
at Moulins, where she prepared Mother de Soudeilles
to understand and relish the mystery of devotion to the
Heart of Jesus. These were the three religious chosen
to begin the work of the apostolate. Hidden in her
humility, not wishing to appear in anything, having a
"horror of letters and the parlor," Saint Margaret
Mary will be their inspiratrix. They, more advanced in
years; more at liberty, since they are at the head of
Communities; and more fearless, since it was not to
them that the revelations had been made; — they, to use
the expression of Mother de Saumaise, will be the
speaking-trumpets, the precursors, the heralds of the
Sacred Heart. The first thing that Saint Margaret
1 Letters of Blessed Margaret Mary. Letter XXXV.
2 Letter XXXV. 3 Letter LXXX.
246 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Mary desired was a picture that would attract the gaze
and prepare the heart. No devotion can become pop-
ular without this condition, and all great love has need
of it. Hardly were the first Christians inclosed in the
catacombs, before they wished to provide for them-
selves this gratification. They tried to paint on the
walls of their obscure abodes the features of the Saviour,
of His Virgin-Mother, and of the apostles. Unskilful
as were their brushes, coarse and imperfect as may be
their sketches, they are even at the present day, even
after Fra Angelico and Raphael, not without some
charm for those that contemplate them. They are
wanting in art, but not in heart. Similar things will
take place at Paray, whose inmates were at first satisfied
with " a simple pen-and-ink drawing on paper," but who
now long for something better. The difficulty was,
however, very great. There was question not only of
representing but of idealizing a heart, and, by some
magical stroke of the brush, to show forth in it both
divinity and love. Van Eyck has skilfully depicted in
the face of a lamb all the majesty of a God. But there
was no Van Eyck at Paray. Alas! no Van Eyck has
since arisen, neither at Paray nor elsewhere. After two
whole centuries of trial and methodizing, we are still
awaiting the master-hand that shall make the canvas
breathe the immaterial beauty of the passion tKat con-
sumed Margaret Mary, the Adorable Heart of Jesus
Christ. Meantime, as in the catacombs, Paray is trying
some strokes of her timid brush.
One month after the novitiate fete, Margaret Mary
wrote to Mother de Saumaise, to beg her to come'to her
assistance. " There has been here," said she to her, " a
young man from Paris, a relative of one of our Sister-
novices. The latter having spoken to him of it, he
generously offered to procure for us a picture as beauti-
ful as we can desire. All that we have to do is to find
The Apostolate of the Sacred Heart begun. 247
the model."1 This was the difficulty. To encourage
Mother de Saumaise to overcome it, and to seek at
Dijon, the old capital of Burgundy and the focus of
letters and art, a painter capable of a task so difficult,
Margaret Mary spoke to her of a vision she had just
had. In it Our Lord had told her that souls devout to
His Sacred Heart should never perish; and that, as it
is the source of all benedictions, He would pour them
out abundantly upon every place in which the image
of this amiable Heart should be exposed for love and
adoration; that He would by this means reunite divided
families; that He would protect souls in necessity; and
that He would give a special grace of salvation and
sanctification to the first who would have this holy pic-
ture made.3
On another occasion she wrote with even more im-
portunity: " I should be very much pleased to know
whether you can do something that the Sacred Heart
of our good Master has destined and reserved for you.
... It is that, as you have been the first to whom He
is well pleased that I disclose His ardent desire of being
known, loved, and adored by His creatures, He wishes
you to be the one that will have a plate made of the
picture of the Sacred Heart; so that all that wish to
render Him special homage may have those pictures in
their houses, and smaller ones to carry on their person.
It seems to me that it would be a great happiness for
you to be able to procure Him this honor, for which you
will be more abundantly recompensed than for any-
thing that you have hitherto done in your whole life."J
In similar terms, and with yet more ardor of soul,
Margaret Mary wrote of it to Mother Greyfie: " If you
knew, my good Mother, how much I feel urged to love
the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ! It seems
to me that life was only given me. for this! . . . He has
favored me with a visit that has been extremely advan-
1 Letter XXXVI. 2 Letter XXXII. 3 Letter XXXVI.
2 43 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
tageous to me, owing to the good impressions it has left
in my heart. He has repeated that the pleasure He
takes in being loved, known, and honored by His crea-
tures is so great that, if I do not mistake, He has prom-
ised me that they who shall have been devout to His
Heart shall never perish; and that, as He is the source
of all benedictions, He will pour them out abundantly
upon every spot in which shall be exposed and honored
the image of His divine Heart." Margaret Mary, hav-
ing specified those benedictions almost in the same
terms as in her letter to Mother de Saumaise, adds:
" He has given me to know that His Sacred Heart is the
Holy of holies, the sanctuary of love; that He wishes
to be known in our day as the Mediator between God
and man, for He is all-powerful to restore us peace, by
turning from us the chastisements our sins deserve, and
to obtain mercy for us." l
Mother Greyfie had just finished reading Pere de la
Colombiere's Retreat. That reading on the one side,
this letter on the other, the perfect knowledge that she
had of the sublime revelation of the Sacred Heart and
of the Sister's sanctity, convinced her that the hour
for a solemn act was come. Having, probably, at her
command a painter of some merit, she caused a picture
of the Adorable Heart of Jesus to be executed in oil,
and hung it above the altar of a little oratory. There,
at the head of the Community, she knelt and solemnly
consecrated herself to the Heart of her Divine Master.
No one could have repaired more simply her former
hesitancy, nor given to the whole Order, of which she
was one of the most eminent Superioresses, a more
brilliant example. Moreover, wishing to give Margaret
Mary a present that would go straight to her heart, she
had a copy of the picture made, added to it a dozen
little pen-and ink drawings of the Sacred Heart, and
sent them to her for a Christmas gift.
1 Letter XXXI II.
The Apostolate of the Sacred Heart begun. 249
The saintly Sister could not contain her joy. She
wrote at once to Mother Greyfie and thanked her
heartily: " I cannot tell you the consolation that you
have given me both by sending me the representation
of the amiable Heart and by wishing to help us honor
it with all your Community. You have caused me trans-
ports of joy a thousand times greater than if you had
put me in possession of all the treasures of the world." '
A little later she says: "I shall now die content, since
the Sacred Heart of my Saviour begins to be known
and I remain unknown. I remind you of your promise
to me, namely, to do all you can to prevent any mention
of me after my death, except to ask prayers for the
most needy and wicked religious of the Institute. . . ."
She concludes with: " He wishes that I should say to
you that your Community has so won His friendship, by
being the first to render adoration to His Heart, that
it has become the object of His complacency. When
praying for it, He does not wish that I should name
it other than the well-beloved Coi?imunity of His Heart."
Whilst thus, in terms of admirable humility, pouring
out her gratitude to Mother Greyfie, Margaret Mary
lost no time in distributing the little pictures to those
who would most profit by them. She sent one to the
Jesuit Fathers of Paray, two to Mother de Soudeilles
and to Sister de la Barge at Moulins, and one to Mother
de Saumaise at Dijon. The last mentioned was accom-
panied by an imploring request to have a copper-plate
engraving of it made, for the little pen designs could
not be distributed in sufficiently large numbers. " If,"
said she,*4 we had a plate, we could scatter them far and
wide."
Mother de Soudeilles, having received the two pic-
tures of the divine Heart, kept the smaller one to wear
always on her heart; and the larger she exposed for
the veneration of the Sisters in the room in which
1 Letter XXXIV.
2 5° Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
their sainted foundress had died. From that day the
oratory was more than ever frequented; and on the
first Friday of every month the whole Community used
to assemble there to make on their knees the Act of
Reparation.
Deeper, perhaps, than even the joyous impression
made upon Margaret Mary herself on learning of the
solemn consecration of Semur to the Sacred Heart was
that produced on the Community of Paray, and on
Sister Madeleine des Escures in particular. The con-
vent of Paray was, so to say, divided at that time into
two large parties: the party of the aged, the rigid ob-
servers of the Rule, fervent guardians of the customs,
having at their head Sister Marie-Madeleine; and the
younger members, formed by Margaret Mary, over whom
reigned her holy influence and into whom she had instilled
some of her own devotedness to the Heart of Jesus.
Between these two parties the prudence of good Mother
Melin maintained peace. Mother Greyfie, so rigid and
so firm in her goodness, had once belonged to the first-
mentioned party; consequently, when what she had
just done became known, a profound, sensation was
created, and no one felt it more sensibly than Sister
Marie-Madeleine. In her heart she had always been
tenderly united to Margaret Mary, whom she both
loved and venerated; but her reason inclined toward
Mother Greyfie. She knew her as a rigorous observer
of the least point of the Rule; she knew her as no
innovatrix, and as one that acted only after most
serious reflection. She had lived six years under her
administration, and she regarded her as one of the pil-
lars of observance, one of the firmest columns of the
Institute. If, then, Mother Greyfie had prostrated be-
fore the Sacred Heart, and solemnly inaugurated the
new devotion, why should she still hesitate ? Who could
doubt after such an example ? Surely there was nothing
contrary either to the letter of the Rule or to the spirit
The Apostolate of the Sacred Heart begun. 251
of the Visitation, much less to the doctrines of holy
Church. Sister Madeleine spoke of it to Mother Melin,
who had long been a secret adherent of the sacred cause,
and in union with her she quickly and quietly prepared
for a public act of reparation.
For this they chose the Friday after the octave of
Corpus Christi, the day fixed by the eternal decrees to
be in the Church the great day of adoration of the
Heart of Jesus. That morning, on entering the choir,
the Sisters perceived in the middle of it something like
a little repository. They drew near, and looked at it.
On a little altar covered with tapestry was exposed, in
the midst of flowers and blessed tapers, a picture of the
Sacred Heart, the same that Mother Greyfie had sent
to Margaret Mary. A card, signed by Sister Madeleine,
was fastened to the altar. It bore on it an invitation to
the Sisters to kneel and consecrate themselves to the
Adorable Heart of the Lord. No longer did they
hesitate. The old without exception, led by Sister
Madeleine, the young conducted by Margaret Mary, in
whose enthusiasm they shared, prostrated like two
choirs of angels. The latter offered to their Lord
joyous adoration; the former, prayers mingled with
regrets, — all uniting to form the purest incense most
agreeable to God. If the young had glorified Him by
their eagerness, the others had hardly done less by their
prudence. Saint Margaret Mary and Sister Madeleine
embraced, and henceforth there throbbed in that convent
but one heart to praise God and to adore the divine
Heart of Jesus. In the fervor of their enthusiasm, ai
agreed upon the erection of a chapel in which to expose
a beautiful, large picture of the Sacred Heart.
Whilst awaiting the realization of this project, and
the better to repair what she termed her fault, Sister
Marie-Madeleine asked to be allowed the care of the
little oratory consecrated by the novitiate to the Heart
of Jesus. " I tell you that we have a second picture of
252 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
the Sacred Heart, and it is our dear Sister de Farges
who painted it. It is, as I have desired, for the little
chapel that was first erected to the honor of the divine
Heart. Our dear Sister des Escures has charge of it,
and it is a little bijou, so beautifully does she adorn
it." '
Margaret Mary did not, however, lose sight of her
first project. A picture in oil was all very well, though
capable of being used only in one place. Some on
vellum done with the pen were, consequently, executed
everywhere, — at Paray, Dijon, Semur, and Moulins.
But notwithstanding this activity, the demand for these
pictures was constant. A copper-plate became absolutely
necessary to produce them in considerable numbers and
enable them to be distributed among the faithful.
Margaret wrote about it to Mother de Saumaise, who
was busily occupied at the time in having a large pic-
ture painted, and insisted that that was not what the
Lord demanded of her. " It was to be," said Margaret,
" a picture struck from a stamp, or a plate, so that every
one could freely purchase according to his devotion." 2
Meanwhile a Jesuit Father from Lyons proposed
having a copper-plate made. He urged the matter, and
showed great zeal for its prosecution. But when, at
last, he received the commission to attend to it, he
failed to take any further steps. He was, in truth,
always travelling, always on missions. He promised
everything, but accomplished nothing. At last, when
sent to Aix, he proposed taking the picture with him
and having it executed there. But this offer was not
feasible. After a thousand difficulties, Margaret Mary
succeeded in getting the model out of his hands. She
sent it next to Mother de Saumaise, earnestly conjuring
her to undertake the work. " Behold, my dear Mother,"
she wrote, " the drawing that the good Father has re-
turned to us, though not without real dissatisfaction ?'
1 Letter LXXX. » Letter XXXIX.
The Apostolate of the Sacred Heart begun. 253
not being able to accomplish the work. But God does
all for the best. He wills the picture to be better done;
for the model, of which the Father sent us the copy, is
neither pretty nor to my taste. You will oblige me
infinitely by changing it."1
Mother de Saumaise had with her at Dijon a young
Sister, Jeanne-Madeleine Joly, who was distinguished by
her most tender devotion to the Sacred Heart. To her
she communicated the contents of this letter, and ex-
pressed the wish that she would try to draw another
that would better correspond to Margaret Mary's ideal.
The Sister undertook the task with simplicity, and fully
succeeded. " I cannot express," the saintly Sister
wrote immediately, "my sweet transports of joy on re-
ceiving your model. It is just what I desired. The
consolation I experience from the ardor you evince for
the Sacred Heart is beyond my power to express. Go
on with your work, my dear Sister, for I hope this
divine Heart will reign in spite of all opposition. As
for myself, I can but suffer and be silent." 2 The model
which corresponded so well to Margaret Mary's wishes
was not, however, executed at Dijon. After many un-
successful preliminaries, it was sent to Paris, where, by
the help of the first convent, the copper-plate so long
desired was finally engraven.
The first step had now been taken for the royal
glorification of the Heart of Jesus, and the diffusion of
its devotion. Besides the pictures in oil, which began
to multiply, the miniatures on vellum, the little pastels
the pen drawings that circulated from convent to con-
vent and were already distributed on the missions,
there was now, after innumerable difficulties, a plate
from which could be struck as many copies as were
needed for distribution throughout the world.
Useful, however, as was the picture in making known
and propagating the devotion to the Sacred Heart 't
1 Letter LX. 2 Letter LXI.
2 54 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
was in itself far from being sufficient. A book explain-
ing the picture now became necessary; a book to inter-
pret the devotion, and offer to the faithful suitable
prayers, litanies, and acts of adoration and reparation.
Had Margaret Mary been commissioned to do so, she
could have composed on this subject so many medita-
tions, so many rapturous effusions, aspirations, and
prayers, that to choose from them would have been an
embarrassing task. But who would have dared suggest
such a thing to her ? That would have been to plunge
her "even to the centre of her nothingness." Sister
Jeanne-Madeleine Joly, the successful artiste of the
Sacred Heart, conceived the idea of writing a little
book of a few pages only, to explain the picture. She
notified Saint Margaret Mary of her intention, and
received in return most hearty congratulations with an
urgent request to hasten the work.1 Submitted to Mgr.
de Langres and approved by his Vicar-General, the
tiny manual was printed before the end of the year, and
copies despatched at once to every convent of the
Order.2 It accompanied the picture and rendered it
intelligible.
At Moulins, Mother de Soudeilles had conceived the
same idea as Sister Joly. She, too, composed a little
work on devotion to the Heart of Jesus. But, less dis-
creet than Sister Joly, she inserted some prayers and
acts of consecration composed by Margaret Mary, thus
raising a corner of the veil under which the latter had
so carefully concealed herself. " We send you," wrote
Margaret Mary to Mother de Saumaise, " the little book
that Mother de Soudeilles has had published. After its
appearance, some persons of consideration (but who
they are I do not know) made her a present of the Litan-
ies of the Sacred Heart, the Act of Reparation, and the
rest; and that has given me what I deserve, namely,
frightful confusion. As you read it, you will clearly
1 Letter XLVII. * Letter LXVI.
The Apostolate of the Sacred Heart begun. 255
understand what I would say. I need not explain
further. I have in some manner reason to accuse you;
but the will of God be done !" '
Soon a Little Office of the Sacred Heart appeared,
composed by a saintly religious, upon whom Margaret
pronounced an extraordinary eulogium. He is so con-
cealed under the cloak of humility that it was with
difficulty that we were able to discover his name. The
details of his life remain to us a secret. All we know
is that he belonged to the Society of Jesus, and was
called Father Gette. " You ask me the name of the
saintly religious who, in the thought that the divine
Heart required it of him, has composed a Little Office
of the Sacred Heart. Excuse me at present from telling
you. I can say only that he will be a second Pere de la
Colombiere," 2 The Office was published, and shortly
after put into French verse. "Adieu, my dear Mother !
I think it will not be disagreeable to you for me to pre-
sent to you a copy in verse of the Office of the Sacred
Heart. It is considered very beautiful."3
The success of these little works, joined to the picture
of the Sacred Heart, was considerable. The demand
for them everywhere increased. Every one wished to
have them. " We pray your charity to let us know
whether they still publish those little Sacred Heart books ;
and if you do us the favor of sending us some, we shall
remain infinitely obliged to you. You cannot conceive
how eagerly they are asked for." 4 And again: " There
is such a demand here for those lutle books that we can
never have sufficient to satisfy the devotion of every
one."5 And elsewhere: "They have put the price of
this book at seven sous. The first edition having been
exhausted in a wondrously short time, behold already
a second; and I do not believe it will stop there." 6
The above could be said not only of Paray, Dijo^
1 Letter LVIII. " Letter LXXXIII.
* Letter LXXXVII. 4 Letter LXXXVIII.
* Letter XCI. ' Letter Cll.
250 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Semur, Moulins, the places in which the devotion took
birth; but at Lyons, Marseilles, Paris, everywhere, the
same eagerness was manifested. " I must tell you some-
thing to the glory of the divine Heart, which will lead
you to bless it anew. I gave a person from Lyons one
of the little books of Dijon. She sent it to a young
Father, who, having read it, showed it to his scholars
at Lyons. They liked it so much that they made num-
bers of copies of the litanies and prayers, which they now
recite with great devotion. These children, moreover,
having shown them to others, the devotion took flights
so grand that, as the manuscript copies failed to meet
the demand, they resolved to have the book printed, and
eagerly offered to defray the expense dependent upon
it. A young workman urged the point with so much
earnestness that it was found necessary to yield to his
importunities. One of the most prominent publishers 1
of Lyons was applied to for the purpose; and, touched
by the love of the divine Heart, he took the resolution
to do it at his own expense. This gave rise to a pious
struggle between the young workman and himself. The
latter having gained his point, he demanded the book
on the Sacred Heart, and took it to one of his friends to
make some additions to it. A saintly religious under-
took the task.2 They have had a new edition printed,
which is very beautiful and well bound. The demand
for it has been so great that they have had a second
edition of it since June 19th. This is only August 21st,
and they are bringing out the third edition." 3
The little book begins to be known out of France. " I
assure you, my unique Mother, that it is a consolation
for all that love it to see the devotion extending every-
where. The most honored Mother of our first convent
of Lyons has sent it to Poland — I mean the little book
for which they asked, and which they are going to trans-
late into Italian." '
1 Horace Molin. 9 Pere Croiset.
* Letter CV. * Letter CXIII.
Altar in room in which St. Margaret Mary died, since
transformed into an oratory.
The Apostolate of the Sacred Heart begun. 257
Margaret Mary again writes, October 22d, 1689:
"What consolation to hear of the happy progress of this
sweet devotion! They write us from Lyons that the
ardor and eagerness with which souls take to it are truly
miraculous. They mention three or four cities in which
the book is going to be published. Marseilles is one of
them, and they have taken a thousand for that place
alone. Of the twenty-seven religious houses in that
city, there is not one that has not taken up this devo-
tion so ardently that some are already raising altars,
others erecting chapels for it." x The devotion grew of
itself. After the picture, the altar; after the altar, the
chapel. They arose everywhere. This was a species of
homage that was still wanting to the Adorable Heart of
Jesus; one superior to all others, because more brilliant,
more popular, and more lasting.
The first of all these chapels, that which had been
enthusiastically agreed upon the day on which the entire
Community of the convent of Paray prostrated before
the Heart of Jesus, was finished September 7th, 1689, and
dedicated with extraordinary solemnity. "The cures
of the city and neighboring parishes, accompanied by
immense crowds, assembled at the parish church, and
then came in procession to our inclosure. The cere-
mony began at one o'clock, and lasted two hours."2
On the altar was exposed the picture of the Sacred
Heart that Mother de Saumaise had had enlarged from
Mother Greyfie's miniature, and of which Margaret
Mary had said: "I could not refrain from looking at it,
for it is so beautiful." 8
During the two hours that the pious ceremony lasted,
our humble and happy Margaret knelt in the chapel, so
ravished and abyssed in God that, among the many who
so greatly desired to speak to her, not one dared do so.
Numbers that had never before seen her regarded her
with curiosity. They surrounded her on all sides.
1 Letter CVIII. 5 Contemp. , p. 282. 3 Letter LXXVIII.
258 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Some even watched to see whether she would change
her position; but she knelt immovable as a statue}
What was passing at that moment in the interior of
this holy lover of Jesus ? That is a secret she never
betrayed. But on beholding the triumph of the Sacred
Heart, her soul must have cried out with the aged
Simeon: "Now I shall die content, since the Heart of
my Saviour begins to be known and adored."
The only regret we can have is that this chapel is
built in the middle of the garden, in a place inaccessible
to the people, instead of being located on the street.
But piety was not to be checked by any obstacle. The
people made the tour of the garden; and peasants
were seen kneeling outside, leaning against the walls,
their gaze turned toward that first temple in which was
publicly adored the Heart of Jesus.2 Then began
the triumphal march of this great and tender devotion
to Infinite Love! We can trace its progress in each of
Margaret Mary's letters. Hidden and obscure at
first, concealed, so to say, in the shadow of the cloister,
we behold it clearing the grates, overcoming all bar-
riers, and appearing in full daylight. The chapel of
Paray was soon followed 'by a second, that of Bois-
Sainte-Marie, built by Margaret's own brother. Then
came that of Dijon, and a little later those of Moulins
and Semur. Each Visitation house was soon to have
its own. The devotion was begun. " I am most consoled
to be able to tell you that great devotion is here enter-
tained to the divine Heart of Jesus. Some persons who
made novenas with lighted tapers have received what
they asked." 3 " I have heard that a congregation is
about to be erected under the title of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus. I do not know whether it is at Paris or not,
but I do know that there is another entirely dedicated
to its honor."4
1 Contemp. , p. 282. 2 Letter CXIV.
8 lb. * Letter CI.
The A postdate of the Sacred Heart begun. 259
The last and highest act of homage, however, still
remained to be rendered. Hitherto the devotion had
been individual and private. To crown the honor thus
far rendered the Sacred Heart, public worship must be
joined to private, the Holy Sacrifice must be solemnly
offered in honor of the Adorable Heart. Again it was
to little Sister Jeanne-Marie Joly that this initiative glory
belonged. Grown courageous in her love, she dared
even to compose a Mass in honor of the Heart of Jesus.
This she did in French, for she knew no other language.
Then she begged good M. Charolaise, confessor to the
Community, to put it into Latin, after which it was sent
to Bishop de Langres, with importunate entreaties tha^
he would be pleased to authorize its public celebration
in the convent. The kind and saintly prelate joyfully
accorded the favor asked.
So far so good. But even this could satisfy neither
Sister Joly nor Mother de Saumaise nor the Community
of Dijon. The bishop's approbation, they declared,
must be followed by that of the Pope. A copy of the
Mass was sent to the Superioress of the Visitation at
Rome, with the request that it might be shown to Cardi-
nal Ciborio, and by him to the Sovereign Pontiff. They
implored His Holiness, very humbly indeed, but very
importunately, to be pleased to accord his authorization
to the public celebration throughout the whole Church
of the feast of the Sacred Heart.
This was a bold stroke on the part of humble religious.
What the prayers of our saint were during the negotia-
tions, none can say; but in her letters is discerned a
species of impatience not at all usual to her.1 "It
seems to me that I shall die content if you obtain the
authorization of the Mass in honor of the Adorable
Heart of Jesus."2
Rome's answer was long in coming. Rome is never
in a hurry. Rome is patient, because she is wise. Rome
1 Letter LXXXIII. 2 Letter XCIII.
260 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
is slow, because she is eternal. But when the answer
did come, it pierced the heart of Margaret Mary as with
a sword of sorrow.1 Rome replied that the time had
not yet come for an approbation that would extend to
the universal Church.
But on the kind representations of Cardinal Ciborio,
the Mother Superioress of the Visitation at Rome added
that there was no reason for discouragement; that it
was necessary, first, to have the devotion publicly estab-
lished in the diocese with permission of the Ordinary;
and, when it should have been in existence for some
time, it would be more easy to obtain Rome's decision
in its favor.
Directed by counsel so wise, and sustained by Mar-
garet Mary, who most confidently affirmed that, in spite
of contradiction, the Heart of Jesus would triumph,
Mother de Saumaise, or rather Mother Desbarres, now
Superioress at Dijon, addressed herself to Bishop de
Langres, and supplicated him to be pleased to permit
the public celebration of the feast of the Sacred Heart,
not only in the convent of Dijon, but in the whole dio-
cese. The authorization having been granted, prepara-
tions were begun at the convent for the solemn honoring
of the Heart of Jesus. However, as the public cere-
mony could not take place until after Easter, to satisfy
the impatience of the Sisters a little private feast was
organized. A picture of the Sacred Heart was placed
in the sanctuary of the religious, and M. Bouhier, the
Superior of the Visitation, celebrated the Mass, Febru-
ary 4, 1689, on the first Friday of the month, in presence
of the Community alone. This Mass was the first ever
said in the Catholic Church in honor of the Heart of
Jesus. We leave you to imagine the delight of Mother
de Saumaise, Sister Joly, Mother Desbarres, and of all
those chosen souls who, urged on by love so pure for
the Heart of their Beloved, to reach the result just at-
1 Letter LXXXVII.
The Apostolate of the Sacred Heart begun. 261
tained, had done so much, had struggled so hard. It
was a heavenly day like unto that on which the first
adoration of the Sacred Heart took place in the little
oratory of Paray. From that time the picture of the
Sacred Heart was exposed every first Friday in the
sanctuary of the religious, who passed almost the entire
day kneeling before the Heart of their Divine Master.
Nothing could drive them from it.
The public fete took place after Easter. The Ducal
Chapter of the Holy Chapel went in procession to the
church of the Visitation, and there with musical accom-
paniment sang the Mass of which we have spoken.1
The Blessed Sacrament was exposed all day in the midst
of an unusual concourse, and shortly after a Confra-
ternity for the Perpetual Adoration of the Sacred Heart
was established. The whole city wished to belong to
it ; and in a few days were recorded " six large vol-
umes of names, among them some of the most illustrious
of the province." The first hour of adoration was made
by a venerable canon of the Holy Chapel, M. Benigne
Joly, a man of extraordinary sanctity, the St. Vincent
de Paul of Burgundy, the founder and promoter of all
the great works of Dijon, whom the people had sur-
named the Father of the Poor, and to whom the Church
has decreed the title of Venerable. Public devotion to
the Sacred Heart had been solemnly inaugurated.
Thus, little by little, remaining hidden as far as she
possibly could, without noise, without issuing from her
obscurity, did Margaret Mary begin to enlist adorers
for the Heart of her well-beloved Spouse. Public de-
votion succeeded private. Already, even without effort
on the part of the humble Margaret, excepting that
made by her desires and prayers, the new devotion had
been knocking at the doors of the Vatican, and had
awakened the attention of the Sovereign Pontiff. It was
1 Annals of the Visitation, by M. 1'Abbe Colet (now Bishop of
Lu£on), p. 146.
262 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
easy to foresee, whatever might be the prudence of the
Church in things so delicate, that a little sooner or
later devotion to the Heart of Jesus would be enthroned
on every altar of Christendom.
The facts thus far rehearsed were accomplished
toward the middle of 1689. And now Saint Margaret
Mary had only a few months more to live. We might
think her mission ended; but most unexpectedly her
sinking to rest was lighted up by new celestial beams.
On the brink of the tomb, she received a new revela-
tion, as brilliant as any of her youth. In it God showed
her His great designs upon France, as well as another
unexpected and admirable phase of the devotion to the
Heart of Jesus.
The Last Grand Revelation. 263
CHAPTER XIV.
THE LAST GRAND REVELATION— THE KING AND
FRANCE.
1689.
"Vive le Christ, qui aime les Franks!"
" Long live Christ, who loves the Franks! " — Prologue of the SaHc
Law.
" Non fecit taliter omni nationi."
" He hath not done in like manner to every nation." — Ps. cxlvii. 20.
'HE revelation of the Sacred Heart is, beyond doubt,
after that of the Incarnation and the Holy Eu-
charist, the most important of the revelations
that have enlightened the Church. It is the most re-
splendent ray of light since Pentecost. Margaret Mary
went so far as to declare that the Heart of Jesus would
be in the Church as a " New Mediator;" ' that is to say,
as we can reach the Father only through the Divine Son
become incarnate for us: in like manner we can hence-
forth reach the Son only by addressing ourselves to the
infinite love of His Heart. This was Almighty God's
first design. He had for end, as we have seen, to dissi-
pate the darkness, to melt the ice that had accumulated,
and to revive in the Church the fire of immolation and
sacrifice.
But besides this first design, He had another relative
to France, and in which we shall again discover that
love of God for the Franks which for fifteen hundred
years, notwithstanding our infidelities, has never aban-
doned us, and which is in a measure increased in propor-
tion even to our ingratitude. We might have been able
to suspect something of this second design, seeing first
1 Letter XLIII.
264 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
that France was the chosen of all nations for the theatre
of the manifestations of Infinite Love; and that it was
to a French virgin, to a French religious Order, that
God showed the high honor of being the confidants, the
apostles, and the first adorers of His divine Heart. If
we remark the nature of our wounds during the seven-
teenth and the eighteenth centuries, we shall not fail to
see how sweetly, how delicately, how efficaciously this
sublime devotion was adapted to their cure. Lastly,
one might have been able to arrive at this conclusion,
had he observed that it corresponds not less perfectly
to the noble and sublime side of the French nature.
Hence, one might have been able to foresee that, sooner
or later, France would succumb to the charm of such a
doctrine; and that, when all Christendom would have
been subjected to the adoration of a Heart wounded by
love, there would be between the French heart and that
devotion so great an affinity that it would enthusiasti-
cally vow itself to its propagation; and that, once regen-
erated in its flames, it would regenerate the world. The
distance, however, between the epoch of which we speak
and that which was to realize the perfect beauty of God's
designs over France was very, very great.
There are some saints, even contemplatives, who
acquaint themselves with the affairs of their times, and
who take part in them with the double glory of divine
and human light. Witness a St. Teresa, whose admira-
ble correspondence with Philip II. deserves to be better
known, and which shows that great saint in an aspect
altogether new. But our saintly Sister appears not in
such a character. Born in an obscure village, hardly
had she buried herself in an unknown cloister, in the
midst of an unimportant town, than she is no more of
this earth. She cares not for the politics of nations; she
alludes not in her letters to what was then agitating her
contemporaries. If Jansenism, in denying or depreci-
ating Infinite Love, began to straiten and dry up the
The Last Grand Revelation. 265
heart of man; if rationalism, the involuntary son of
Descartes, in isolating mind from the other faculties,
and particularly in separating the soul from the heart,
continues and aggravates its detestable work; if sensism
finishes by corrupting the heart; if ancient morals de-
cay; if Louis XIV. passed from the guilty love of Mile,
de la Valliere to the shameful rule of Mme. de Monte-
span, leading the dance that merrily whirled the French
Empire to its ruin; if the heart, attacked by so many
enemies at the same time, was on the point of perishing,
— would it not, at least, be elevated, purified, restored
to health by contact with a pure heart ? We repeat, it
was not thus that things presented themselves to the
eyes of Margaret Mary. She saw only her Well-beloved.
She knew only that men do not love Him; that they
forget Him and betray Him; that for the benefits He
lavishes upon them He reaps only outrage. About
their various degrees of sinfulness, about the difference
between their offences of to-day and those offered Him
in past ages, she cared little. And, in truth, that was
of little consequence.
Once, however, she received a divine illumination on
the disorders of the king and the court. The Superior-
ess said to her one day: " Go and take the king's place
before the Blessed Sacrament." Margaret Mary obeyed.
All the time that she remained there, she, angelic purity
itself, was assailed by thoughts and imaginations that
filled her with horror. This experience was several
times renewed. Her Superioress was obliged, at last,
to withdraw her from a ministry in which she experi-
enced torments to her so strange and new.
On another occasion she remarked, in one of her let-
ters, that she perceived " a strange spirit of pride " prowl-
ing around the Visitation, — a strange spirit of pride,
which wished to substitute itself for that of humility
and simplicity, the " foundation of the whole edifice." '
1 Letter XLIII.
266 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
That " spirit of pride " was Jansenism. But the saint
did not know its name. She had seen it, not in the
light of history, but in that of God. She had beheld it
in ecstasy.
These are the only allusions in Margaret's writings
that refer to contemporary events. Nothing, then, had
prepared her for the grand revelation now about to be
made to her. Her companions, her friends, her old and
valued Superiors, were even less prepared for it than
she. The first revelation related to the Church, and it
gave rise to tempests. Those regarding France seem
to have remained either unknown or ignored, for con-
temporaries make no mention of it. Mgr. Languet
himself did not even suspect their existence: and how
could he, since they have been known scarcely ten
years ? Like those pages whose invisible characters
appear only when approached to fire, the flame of revo-
lutions was necessary to draw from the obscurity of
their archives the writings that record those revelations,
and to direct attention to them after they had appeared.
And who knows whether or not we possess all the
monuments of that national revelation, as glorious to
France as the conversion of Clovis or the mission of
Joan of Arc?
Behold, at least, what we do possess of it, namely,
three letters addressed in 1689 to Mother de Saumaise;
admirable letters, in some of which the reader may de-
tect a certain solemnity, and in others a certain im-
patience and fear of not being understood. They are
like the last scene of the grand drama that so graphi-
cally depicts the manifestations of the Heart of Jesus.
The first letter bears date February 23, 1689, and is
written to Mother de Saumaise to thank her for what
she had done toward promoting devotion to the Sacred
Heart. In it we see broached, though in vague words,
the social and national side of that sublime devotion.
" Ah, what happiness for you," she says, " and for those
The Last Grand Revelation. 267
that contribute to it; for they draw upon themselves the
friendship and eternal benedictions of this amiable
Heart, and a powerful protection on our country. It will
not be less effectual to turn away the vengeance and severity of
the just anger of God for so many crimes committed against
it." She adds: " But I hope the divine Heart will be-
come an inexhaustible source of mercy. It wishes only
to establish its reign among us, in order to grant us
more abundantly its precious graces of sanctification
and salvation."
To show how necessary it is that repentance should
begin where sin had begun, she says: " One thing that
consoles me much is that I hope, in exchange for the
bitterness this divine Heart suffered in the palaces of
the great during the ignominies of His Passion, this de-
votion will in time magnificently flourish therein. Pur-
sue, then, courageously what you have undertaken for
His glory in the establishment of His reign. The
Sacred Heart will reign in spite of Satan and all
that may rise up to oppose it. But now is the time to
work and suffer in silence, as He has done for our love." '
The second letter, though in a different sense, is much
more important. It was written on coming out of ecs-
tasy, on the Feast of the Sacred Heart itself, Friday after
the octave of the Blessed Sacrament, June 17, 1689. The
Spirit of God had rested on the holy Sister,and displayed
to her in prophetic light His designs of mercy on France.
There is to the devotion of the Sacred Heart a private
and a social side. Margaret Mary begins with the first.
M In fine, my dear Mother," she writes, " are we not
all consumed in the burning heat of His pure love ? It
will reign, this amiable Heart, in spite of Satan, his
imps and his agents. This word transports me with
joy. But to be able to express to you the great graces
and benedictions it will attract upon all that shall have
procured it the most honor and glory is what I cannot
do in the way that He has given me to understand it.
1 Letter of February 23, 1689.
268 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
" He has made me see the devotion to His Sacred
Heart as a beautiful tree, destined from all eternity to
spring up and take root in the midst of our Institute,
and to extend its branches into the houses that compose
it, so that each may gather from it fruits most pleasing
to her liking and taste. But He desires that the daugh-
ters of the Visitation should distribute abundantly to
all that will eat of it the fruits of this sacred tree. By
this means He desires to restore life to many; and, by
withdrawing them from the way of perdition, and de-
stroying the empire of Satan in their heart, to estab-
lish in them that of His love."
Behold the first design, the supernatural, the special
side of devotion to the Sacred Heart, that which re-
gards souls at all times and in all places. Margaret
Mary continues: "But He does not wish to stop here.
He has still greater designs, which can be executed only
by His almighty power."
Which are those designs that the Saint calls the
greatest, and for which she invokes the All-powerful ?
" He desires, then, it seems to me, to enter with
pomp and magnificence into the palaces of kings and
princes, therein to be honored as much as He has been
despised, humiliated, and outraged in His Passion.
May He receive as much pleasure therein at seeing the
great ones of the world abasing and humbling them-
selves before Him as He once felt bitterness at behold-
ing Himself annihilated at their feet!"
The tone of these words convinces one that Margaret
Mary, when uttering them, was in a sort of ecstasy.
What follows leaves no room for doubt on the subject.
" Here are," she continues, " the words that I heard
on this point: 'Make known to the eldest son of My
Heart,' speaking of our king, ' that as his temporal
birth was obtained through devotion to the merits
of My holy childhood, in the same manner He will
obtain his birth of grace and eternal glory by the
The Last Grand Revelation. 269
CONSECRATION THAT HE WILL MAKE OF HIMSELF TO My
Adorable Heart, which wishes to triumph over his
heart, and by his mediation over those of the great
ones of the world. It wishes to reign in his palace,
TO BE PAINTED ON HIS STANDARDS AND ENGRAVEN ON HIS
ARMS, IN ORDER TO RENDER HIM VICTORIOUS OVER ALL HIS
ENEMIES.' "
Margaret Mary spoke only of the king, because, in
the spirit of those times, the king and France were one.
The king personified all the souls of France living and
breathing in one single soul.
To comprehend Almighty God's request with regard
to the standard, we must recall that, from the earliest
ages, France had always had a sacred standard, one
that was not borne to vulgar combats ; one that rested
in the sanctuary of St. Denis under the shadow of
the country's holy protectors. It was removed from
its sacred shrine only when the monarch headed the
army, when it was solemnly sought in the hour of
greatest danger, or when it was to be carried afar to the
holy wars. It symbolized the religious soul of France,
and floated like a sacred prayer amid the nation's
banners. It was a standard of this kind that God had
given to Joan of Arc. He had prescribed its form and
emblems, and communicated to it the secret virtue that
roused exhausted France to unhoped-for triumphs. To-
day, through the lips of the virgin of Paray, God asked
of the king of France something of the same kind, a
sacred standard which was to symbolize an act of faith.
It was to be borne side by side with the nation's flag,
and, in a voice that could be distinctly heard above
the proverbial bravado of her enemies, proclaim that
France places her trust in the blessing of God.
Mother de Saumaise was probably rather surprised
by so serious a communication and one that tallied so
little with what she knew of Margaret Mary's humility.
She made no reply, and our sweet and humble Mar-
270 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
guerite became anxious at her silence. Were her letters
lost? Would Mother de Saumaise, until then so cou-
rageous for the interests of the Heart of Jesus, hesitate
before this new perspective ? Again she wrote to her,
August 12, 1689 : " I declare to you, my dear Mother,
that your silence regarding the two long letters that I
have had the honor to write you has given me a little
pain. I know not to what to attribute it, except that
perhaps I have set down my thoughts too freely and
simply. I should perhaps have kept them concealed
under an humble silence. You have only to tell me this,
and I assure you that it will greatly gratify my inclina-
tion never to speak of these things, but to bury them in
the secret of the Sacred Heart of my Divine Master. He
is witness of the violence that I must do myself to speak
of them. I should never have resolved to do so, had
He not made known to me that it is for the interest of His
glory; and for that I should cheerfully sacrifice millions
of lives, if I had them, through my great desire to make
Him known, loved, and adored. But perhaps you
have not received my letters, and that would be still more
afflicting to me." 1 It was perhaps in the fear that these
letters were lost, and that in the event of her death her
secret might not descend with her into the tomb, that
Margaret Mary reduced to writing the following. It
was in the month of August, some days after the 12th,
perhaps the 25th, the feast of St. Louis. It is less a
letter than a sort of declaration, throughout which
reign unaccountable solemnity and majesty :
" Live »|« Jesus !
"August, 1689.
" The Eternal Father, wishing to repair the bitter-
ness and agony that the Adorable Heart of His Divine
Son endured in the palaces of earthly princes, amidst
the humiliations and outrages of His Passion, wishes to
establish His empire in the heart of our great monarch,
1 Letter of August I2» i68q.
The Last Grand Revelation. 271
of whom He desires to make use in the execution of
His design, which is to have an edifice erected in which
shall be a picture of His divine Heart, to receive the conse-
cration and homage of the king and all the court.
" Moreover, this divine Heart wishes to make itself
the defender of the sacred person of the king, his pro-
tector against all his enemies. Therefore has it chosen
him as its faithful friend, to have the Mass authorized
by the Holy Apostolic See, and to obtain all the other
privileges that ought to accompany devotion to this
divine Heart.
" It is by this divine Heart that God wishes to dis-
pense the treasures of His graces of sanctification and
salvation, by bestowing His benediction on the king's
undertakings, according a happy success to his arms,
and making him triumph over the malice of his ene-
mies."
A consecration of the nation to the Heart of Jesus, a
national temple raised to the Heart of Jesus, an inscrip-
tion to the Heart of Jesus on the national standard —
this is what Our Lord asked of the blessed Sister.
Under this condition He will render the king, that is,
France, victorious over all her enemies, and will give
her an eternal reign of honor and glory.
Saint Margaret Mary then goes on to recount the
best means for realizing this plan ; the best means for
reaching the ears of Louis XIV. She mentions Pere de
la Chaise, the king's confessor, who at this time enjoyed
great favor. "If the goodness of God," says she, " in-
spires this great servant of the Divine Majesty to em-
ploy the power He has given him, he may rest assured
that he has never done an action more useful to God's
glory, more salutary to his own soul, nor for which he
will be better recompensed.
" It will be very difficult, on account of the great ob-
stacles Satan purposes putting in the way, as well as of
£.11 the other difficulties God will permit in order to
272 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
make His power seen. He can effect all that He*
pleases, though He does not always do so, not wishing
to do violence to man's will. For this we must pray much
and get prayers.
We may have remarked that in all these letters there
breathes a deep and holy enthusiasm. The Heart of
Jesus will reign in spite of its enemies ! All that
God wishes from France — that national consecration,
that national temple, that inscription to the Heart of
Jesus on a standard, — all will be accomplished ; but it
will take time, and nothing less than the omnipotence of God
is necessary. Fearful misfortunes will, moreover, take
place in the mean time.
We have not Mother de Saumaise's answer to this
letter of August, 1689. She who had known how to
reach Rome and arouse the thoughts of the Sovereign
Pontiffs would neglect nothing to reach even Louis
XIV. We know that she had recourse to the Superioress
of the Visitation of Chaillot, the refuge of Mile, de la
Fayette, where dwelt the queen of England, and which
held, so to say, its door open to the court of Louis
XIV. Might it happen that Pere de la Chaise would
not dare to speak of it to the king? Might it happen
that Louis XIV. 's soul would not be sufficiently humble
to comprehend the Christian grandeur of such a thought?
Be that as it may, those tender and magnanimous ad-
vances to the Heart of Jesus were not understood, and
Margaret Mary's last admonitions were without avail,
were lost in oblivion. They were, indeed, her last
words, for we are at the close of 1689, and she was near-
ing her death.
1689 ! Involuntarily we pause at this date, for it
evokes another, 1789 ! A century has just rolled by be-
tween the epoch in which an humble virgin, hidden in
the depths of a cloister, pointed out to Louis XIV. the
ark of salvation prepared for him by the goodness of
God, and that other epoch in which arose the storm
The Last Grand Revelation, 273
that was to sweep away the monarchy, and with it all
other monarchies. If told in the days of his splendor
of the perils in store for France, of the necessity of seek-
ing a remedy, a shelter far above man, yea, even in the
Adorable Heart of Jesus, Louis XIV. would have smiled
incredulously. And yet this was true. From Louis
XIV. France descended to Louis XV., from Louis XV.
to Voltaire, from Voltaire to Robespierre and Marat ;
that is to say, from pride to corruption, from corrup-
tion to impiety, and from both the one and the other
to a hatred of God and man which was to bring about
her universal punishment.
Ah, this was only the beginning of our sorrows ! From
1789 let us go to 1889. There we find a new century,
one scarcely less sad than its predecessor ; one in which
minds are darkened and hearts chilled ; one in which
nothing is lasting ; one whose every cycle of fifteen
years witnessed a storm that carried away a throne ;
one in which man lives amidst constantly recurring
political convulsions, in distrust of the present, in un-
certainty of the future.
It was for such times that had been providentially
prepared, and it was in the midst of such catastrophes,
that we see making its way, painfully but surely, devo-
tion to that Heart which is meek and humble, which
suited so well the age of Louis XIV.; which is pure, for
it was of purity that Louis XV.'s reign had so much
need ; which was consumed by love and devotedness,
qualities that would not have proved prejudicial to the
age of such as Robespierre ; which raises sad hearts
and comforts crushed souls ; which suits our own times
and ail times.
274 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
CHAPTER XV.
MARGARET MARY'S MISSION ENDED— SHE IS CON-
SUMED IN THE FLAMES OF DIVINE LOVE— HER HOLY
DEATH.
1690.
" Sicut virgula furai ex aromatibus thuris."
"As a pillar of smoke of aromatical spices." — Cant. iii. 6.
^? ARGARET MARY had finished her mission. It
^Ij^L now remained for her only to die ; or rather,
she must die that her mission may be accom-
plished. Those admirable revelations of God, of which
we know so much to-day, were known in the time of
Margaret Mary to only a few, and only three or four
knew them in detail. Many had only a vague notion
of them, and, through delicacy and respect for Margaret
Mary, no one dared speak of them. " I must die," said
she, "for I am an obstacle to this sweet devotion."1
Again: " I shall assuredly die this year, in order not to
prevent the great fruits that my Divine Saviour expects
to reap from a book of devotion to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus"2 — words that very much surprised Father Croi-
set, who was working at this book, but who had not yet
spoken of it to any one.
When Margaret Mary finished this first work, she
ended a second, one more personal but not less admir-
able : she had finished moulding her soul to the image
of the Sacred Heart. In the fire of suffering and of
voluntary sacrifice, what was human and imperfect in
her had been gradually consumed; all that was left
was purely celestial. As in all great fires, when every-
thing has been devoured, the flames sink and gradually
1 Letter XCIX. 2Contemp., p. 294.
Margaret Marys Mission Ended, 275
die out for want of fuel ; thus the sufferings, physical
and mental, that for so many years had overwhelmed
the saint one by one disappeared. Hence she con-
cluded that she was soon to die. " I shall certainly die
this year," she exclaimed, " since I have nothing more
to suffer." *
The sacrifice was, in reality, nearing its consummation.
To the criticisms, the discussions, of which she had
been the object, succeeded a sort of deep and discreet
enthusiasm. Not only were the Sisters daily witnesses
of her virtues ; not only the little boarders, who clipped
relics from her habit ; but priests and religious began
to make journeys to Paray, to have the happiness of
conversing with her. On leaving the parlor they were
often heard to say : " We came to see the saint !"
There was no one, not even the laborers in the convent,
that did not watch for her at the recreation hour, and
say to one another : " Let us try to see the saint of the
house."2 "The women who did the washing never
called her anything else." 3 On feast-days when the
grate was open, one could not prevent pious souls from
crowding against the bars in order " to catch a glimpse
of the saint." The aureola of holiness was definitively
placed upon her brow ; and all contemplated with re-
spectful admiration the victim approaching the consum-
mation of her sacrifice on the altar.
Among the many virtues that excited admiration at
that last hour, what was most astonishing was her love
for the hidden life, carried almost to passion. Ordi-
narily, when God calls a soul to a public mission, He
puts into it a sort of chivalric enthusiasm, a holy bold-
ness that renders it capable of any undertaking. Wit-
ness the pure and ardent St. Catharine of Siena, who,
in spite of the ruling powers, led the Pope back to
Rome after an exile of seventy years. But in Margaret
1 Contemp., p. 294. 2 Process of 1715, p. 69.
3 Vie et ceuvres, torn. i. p. 201.
276 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Mary we see nothing of the kind. From her cradle to
her tomb, she thought but of hiding herself ; she never
found a solitude sufficiently retired. The more brilliant
became her graces, the more her craving after forget-
fulness, contempt, and humiliation increased. Her
greatest desire, a desire that on her deathbed amounted
to a torment, was to destroy all that she had ever
written, thus to prevent any word from ever being
spoken of her. " It would be very sweet to me, my
dear Mother, if you would assure me, as your charity
has promised, that you will burn everything without
exception ; that nothing may ever be seen or known ;
for my desire to remain buried in contempt and forget-
fulness after death is not less than that which I have
had during life." * " How grateful I should be to you,
my good Mother, if you would do me the favor of burn-
ing all the writings that you have belonging to me."8
" I pray and implore you to burn all my writings, for I
do not wish that there should survive so wicked a sin-
ner anything that could preserve her remembrance
after death. I wish to be buried, annihilated in
eternal oblivion." 3
Her thirst for contempt and humiliation increased
with her reputation. She wished to write no more
letters, to appear no more in the parlor. " Tell me
what I must do, for the number of letters written to me
makes me suffer a most painful species of martyrdom,
seeing that, though not wishing it, I have so deceived
people. I think nothing can better undeceive them than
my silence. I feel so strongly attracted to that course
that, without extreme violence, I can no longer resist,
whether for the parlor or for letters. If obedience did
not constrain me, I should neither go to the one nor re-
ply to the other. The only consolation that I have in
this is that it is to me a cross, and the cross is good at
1 Letter IX. 2 Letter X. s Letter XXXII.
Margaret Marys Mission Ended. 277
all times and in all places." 1 " Alas ! if you knew how
criminal my life is, and how little conformed to my
words, you would see that like a miserable sinner who,
without willing it, has deceived others, it is most just
for me to desire to be buried in eternal contempt and
oblivion." 2
She went to the parlor only when constrained by
obedience, and whilst there kept herself so recollected,
so abyssed in God, and so humble, that all gazed at her
in admiration. "The great difficulty I have to speak,"
she said, " would prevent my ever doing so if obedience
did not require it. It seems to me that, seeing myself
so very wicked, contemptible, and despicable, I commit
a great crime in speaking of myself. I am often aston-
ished that the earth does not open under my feet
and swallow me, on account of my great sins. Ask, I
conjure you, the Sacred Heart to grant me the grace to
die with it oh the cross, poor, unknown, despised, for
gotten by all creatures, overwhelmed by all sorts of suf-
ferings ; but all according to His choice, His desire, not
mine." 3
The last words show us a second characteristic of
Margaret Mary's inclinations. We do not think that
any creature has ever loved suffering more, nor plunged
into it with greater enthusiasm. " To tell you in a word
of the delights with which His goodness has, up to the
present, favored me, I cannot better express it than by
saying that in mind and in body I am on the cross. I
cannot complain of it, nor do I desire any other consola-
tion than that of never having any in the world, and of
living entirely hidden in Jesus Christ crucified, unknown
in my sufferings. I wish no creature to have compassion
on me, none to remember me, excepting to increase my
torment." 4
" I consider the hours that I have spent without suffer-
1 Letter LXXX. 2 Letter XCVI
3 Letter LXXXV. 4 Letter I.
278 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
ing as lost. Indeed, I assure you, my good Mother, that
I do not wish to live longer unless I may have the hap-
piness to suffer." '
The more Margaret's pain increased, the more her
soul thrilled with joy. "As to myself, my dear Mother,
alas! what can I say, excepting that it pleases the Lord
to keep me in a state of continual suffering, my strength
so exhausted that it is with extreme difficulty I carry
my miserable body of sin. When I behold my sufferings,
it seems to me that I feel the same joy that the most
avaricious and ambitious do in seeing their treasures
multiply."2
Every instant we meet similar utterances: " I know of
nothing that so sweetens the prolongation of life as con-
stant suffering in loving. Let us then suffer lovingly
and uncomplainingly, esteeming as lost the moments
passed without suffering." 3 " Who can hinder us from
being saints, since we have a heart to love and a body to
suffer ?" 4 " Although I suffer as a criminal, it is that,
however, which makes the prolongation of life endura-
ble ; for in it there can be found no pleasure, excepting
that of loving God and suffering in His love." 6 We
may page through her letters, peruse her Memoire, but
in each we shall see that never was deeper passion ex-
pressed in cries more touching, never was it revealed in
darts more penetrating. When we recall these words
of Mother Greyfie: " The scourge had to be snatched
from her hand ; for had we let her, she would have dis-
ciplined herself to blood," — one involuntarily pauses in
presence of one of the greatest examples of love of the
Cross and passion for suffering that hagiology presents
to the admiration of Christians.
There is no need to say whence arose in her virtues so
elevated above nature. They came from the only source
that can produce them : a love of God of which she
1 Letter XI. 2 Letter XXXIX. 3 Letter LXXXVI.
4 Letter XCII. 5 Letter VIII.
Margaret Mary's Mission Ended. 279
herself was not able to note the beginning ; which was
awakened in her crib ; and which, carefully cultivated,
increased with age, arrived at its culminating point, and
there consumed her life. There were, she said, three
tyrants installed in her heart, which left her no longer
mistress of any movement : the first was love of con-
tempt ; the second, love of suffering ; the third, and
the most insatiable of all, love of Jesus Christ. u God
has put into my soul three persecutors that cruelly tor-
ment me : the first, which produces the other two, is so
great a desire of loving Him that it seems to me that
whatever I see ought to be changed into flames of love." *
Her great motto was : " Love, suffer through love, and
be silent. This is the secret of the lovers of the Be-
loved." 2
Writing to a friend a short time before her death,
" Love," she said, " and do what you please, for he that
has love has all. Do all through love, in love, and for
love ; for it is love that gives value to everything. Love
wishes not a divided heart. It calls for all or none.
Give, then, love for love, and never forget Him whom
love has put to death for you. You will love Him only
inasmuch as you know how to suffer in silence and to
prefer Him to creatures." 3
Under the empire of these three tyrants, where could
there be room for the most imperceptible regard for
creatures ? Although Margaret Mary had a very tender
heart, its purity was charming. Her chastity was that
of an angel. She herself has acknowledged that, except
the day on which she was sent to take the place of
Louis XIV. before the Blessed Sacrament, she never
had even the shadow of a temptation. She had pre-
served her baptismal innocence. There was in her coun-
tenance something angelic, something ineffably pure ;
though, at the same time, her eyes were so clear and her
gaze so penetrating that one might have been embar-
1 Letter XII. 2 Letter LXXXIV. 3 Letter LIIL
280 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
rassed under her holy glance, had it not been tempered
by extreme sweetness and modesty. She possessed the
secret of reading hearts. By a word, a glance, a sweet
and delicate allusion, she frequently revealed to her
novices that she knew their interior dispositions. One
look, for example, sufficed to show her that one of the
Misses de Vichy-Chamron was not, like her sister, intend-
ed for the Visitation ; and the importunity of her family,
no more than the persecution her refusal to receive her
excited, could make Margaret Mary yield. To another
who ardently desired to enter the Visitation she said
that God did not call her there; that He wished her to
go to the Ursulines, where she would do great good.
This happened, indeed, to the surprise of the whole
Community. On another occasion she was in the par-
lor with a cousin, very young and gay, recently received
among the Dominicans. Another relative present
wished to check the young monk's gayety. " Let him
laugh," said Margaret Mary; " these are his last joys, for
he has not much longer to live." The young man died
suddenly a few days after.
Margaret's vision extended beyond the most distant
horizon. " Do you think, then," said she, smiling, to a
lady who asked of her news of her deceased relatives,
" that I know what passes in purgatory ?" But the facts
disabused her words, and no one would have thought of
putting such a question to her, had not some exact and
striking revelations on several occasions declared her
gift of prophecy.
To it she joined the gift of miracles. It happened
one day that a good domestic Sister, whilst splitting
wood, wounded herself with the axe. Fearing that this
accident might cause her to be sent away, she tried at
first to conceal it. But the wound increased, and, like
the poor woman of the Gospel, she said to herself : If
I shall touch only her gar7?ient, I shall be healed.1 Follow-
1 St. Matt. ix. 2:.
Margaret Marys Mission Ended. 281
ing out her good thought, she touched her wounded
limb to the hem of Margaret's garment, and she was
almost overcome with joy on perceiving the next morn-
ing no trace of her wound.
Thus did Margaret rise day by day to the summit of
sanctity. After having run through the elementary de-
grees so rapidly, she had arrived at that high pinnacle
upon which the heart of man unites itself to the Heart of
God, and has no longer any other than divine thoughts,
desires, and aspirations. But she had now gone a step
farther. She was elevated to that sublime state in
which the weakness of man, as says the Holy Scripture,
enters into the power of God, reigns like Him, sees into
the future, penetrates the secrets of souls, and sovereign-
ly commands the elements.
It must be added that, "although Margaret Mary
shone brilliantly in all the virtues, yet her sanctity en-
tirely resolved itself into that love with which she so
ardently burned for the Heart of Jesus, and that amaz-
ing zeal which led her to draw all hearts to render Him
love for love " x We can say that this devotion was the
summary as well as the living and vivifying source of
all her virtues.
It was for the Sacred Heart that God had created
her, and it was by the Sacred Heart that He had con-
ducted her to the summit of perfection. Thence came
her faith, her humility, her virginal modesty, her an-
gelic purity ; and if, as a little one in the bosom of her
family, in the streets of the village of Verosvres, people
said, on seeing her pass, " She is an angel," it was
because, though unknown to her, the Sacred Heart had
already darted upon her a first ray of love. Thence,
too, came her love for God and man, her apostolic
spirit, her zeal, her spirit of prayer, and her long con-
templations from which she drew her grand, prophetic
lights on the Church, on consciences, and on the most
1 Decret de Beatification.
282 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
hidden events. Many of those lights had some connec-
tion with the mission she had received. Thence also
her frightful sufferings, the trials that assailed her, the
doubts, the humiliations that God permitted, in order
that the heart of the humble virgin might be broken
and wounded like that of her celestial Spouse. Thence,
in fine, came in the last years of her life that aureola of
sanctity which attracted the eyes of all. In proportion
as she ascended above the horizon, the Sacred Heart
darted its rays upon her. He who was so soon going to
inundate her with light allowed its reflection to shine
upon her forehead.
Heaven itself delighted to make it seen. One day, a
good Sister, hearing holiness spoken of in the Com-
munity, said to herself: u Oh, how I should love to see a
saint!" Instantly she heard a voice in the depths of
her heart: "Look at Sister Margaret Mary!" She
raised her eyes to Margaret's face glowing with celestial
light from her recollection and union with God.
What Heaven thus showed to an humble religious
was not concealed from others. The last mists were
slowly clearing away, and God's glory was appearing
on the countenance of His servant. This could not
last. It was a new martyrdom, more cruel than all
others, and absolutely above her strength. She must
of necessity die. It was necessary for her, and it was
needful for the exaltation of the Heart of Jesus, whose
grand revelations could no longer remain unknown.
There is no doubt that, from the beginning of 1690,
Sister Margaret Mary had of her approaching death the
most vivid light. She spoke of it incessantly. Vainly
did the Superioress, the Sisters, the physician smile on
hearing her proclaim her end as so near. She sweetly
and humbly maintained that it would be " this year."
She told them how it would take place, and at a time
in which the Community was least expecting it. She
even named the two Sisters in whose arms she was to
Margaret Marys Mission Ended, 283
breathe her last sigh. " Dear Sister," said she to young
Sister Rosalie Verchere, who had never assisted at a
deathbed, and who very likely would be terrified at the
sight, "you greatly fear witnessing a death. Ah! very
well, depend upon it, I shall die in your arms and those
of Sister Peronne-Rosalie de Farges." x
July 22d, a little less than three months before her
death, she heard more distinctly than ever the call of
the Spouse. Although in good health, and only forty-
three years old, she solicited with so much importunity
the favor of making a forty days' retreat to prepare her-
self for death, that her Superioress could not refuse her.
She committed to paper some of the thoughts that then
occupied her, and which permit us to contemplate for
the last time the perfect beauty of her great soul.
" On the first day of my retreat my chief care was to
think whence could come to me this great longing for
death, since it is not usual for criminals, such as J am
before God, to be so easy about appearing before their
judge, and a judge the sanctity of whose justice pene-
trates even to the marrow of the bones. How, then
my soul, canst thou feel so great joy at its approach ?
Thou thinkest only of ending thy exile, and thou art
enraptured at the idea of soon going forth from thy
prison. But, alas! take care that temporal joy, which
perhaps proceeds only from the blindness of ignorance,
plunge thee not into eternal sadness, and that from this
mortal and perishable prison thou fallest not into those
eternal dungeons where there will be no more room to
hope. Let us, then, O my soul, leave this joy and these
desires to die to holy and fervent souls for whom great
rewards are prepared. For us whose works leave us
nothing but chastisements to hope for, if God is not
more good in our regard than just, let us think what
will be our fate. Canst thou, my soul, endure for all
eternity the absence of Him whose presence fills thee
1 Ann6e Sainte, vol. ix. p. 214.
284 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
with desires so ardent, and whose absence causes thee
pains so cruel ?
" My God, how difficult it is for me to render this
account! I feel it impossible to nerve myself up to it,
and, in my impotence, I know not to whom to address
myself unless to my Adorable Master. I have remitted
to Him all the points on which I shall be judged,
namely, my Rules, Constitutions, and Directory. It is
on them I shall be justified or condemned. After con-
fiding to Him all my interests, I felt admirable peace
under His feet, where He held me for a long time
abyssed, as it were, in my own nothingness, and there
expecting that He would judge me, a miserable
criminal."
Later on, having measured " the immensity of her
malice," she adds: " I am insolvent. Thou seest it well,
my Divine Master. Put me in prison. I consent,
provided it be in Thy Sacred Heart. There keep me
fast captive, bound by the chains of Thy love, until I
shall have paid Thee all that I owe Thee; and as I shall
never be able to do that, I shall never come forth from
that prison."
We ask the most severe judges, could there be words
more beautiful than these ?
In this elevation of thought, this humility so true,
this depth of sentiment, this peace and calm already
heavenly, do they not recognize a great soul soaring to
the loftiest heights? And when, overwhelmed with the
remembrance of her sins, the blessed Sister asks, on the
verge of the tomb, to be hidden in the Heart of Jesus,
may we not find in that an indirect, though very high,
proof of the perfect sincerity of her rare mind and
noble heart ?
In these sentiments Margaret Mary awaited death.
Autumn came, the season in which the religious of the
Visitation make their annual retreat. Now the eve of
the day on which she was to begin hers, for that of the
Her Holy Death. 285
month of July did not dispense her from the one pre-
scribed by the Rule, she was taken with a slight increase
of fever. A Sister having asked her whether she could
enter her retreat, she replied: "Yes, but it will be into
the great retreat." The physician, Dr. Billiet, was called.
He venerated her as a saint, and used to say that her
maladies proceeded from divine love. He saw nothing
serious in her indisposition, and declared she would not
die of it. Margaret Mary, on the contrary, looking at
him smilingly, said: " After all, it is less culpable for a
secular than for a religious to tell a lie."
After a short interval she asked for little Sister Marie-
Nicole de la Faige des Claines, whom she called her St.
Louis de Gonzaga, wishing, as she said, to have her by
her when she died. " Come see me, my dear Sister,"
she said, as soon as she perceived her, " for I shall die
of this illness. We shall not have a long time to be
together."1
It was the eve of her death, though none suspected
it. The physician reassured the Sisters. The counte-
nance of the invalid confirmed his words and dis-
pelled every trace of apprehension. However, toward
evening little Sister des Claines, who never left her,
observed that she suffered much, though from interior
pains, the nature and cause of which it was difficult
to divine. " You suffer," said she to her. " Oh, not so
much," the saint earnestly replied, and relapsed into
silence. A little later, toward the beginning of the night,
she called the little Sister, and spoke to her of the ardent
desire that consumed her of seeing God in heaven; add-
ing that she would nevertheless prefer to remain on
earth till the last judgment if such were His good
pleasure.
The next day, October 16th, eve of her death, she
implored from early morning to have holy Viaticum
given her. As she was positively refused, her condition
Annee Sainte, vol. ix. p. 729.
286 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
inspiring no fears, she asked at leasL to be allowed to
communicate, since she was still fasting. Her impor-
tunity was at last victorious. When she saw her Well-
beloved entering, she opened wide her arms, and, with
a vehemence that the witnesses declared themselves
incapable of describing, thanked Him for coming to her.
This was the last time she received her God on earth.
She knew that it was to be so, and after the ceremony
she told little Sister des Claines that she had com-
municated as Viaticum, because the end was near.
All who approached her on this last day admired the
extraordinary joy depicted on her face. She was in con-
tinual outbursts: "Ah! what happiness to love God!
Let us love Him, let us love Him! But let it be per-
fectly!" For one instant only the thought of divine jus-
tice crossed her mind. She trembled, then humbly and
ardently kissed her crucifix. " Mercy, my God! Mercy!"
she exclaimed. But this trouble was only passing. The
next moment she plunged into the Heart of Jesus, and
on her brow appeared a radiant serenity that was never
more to leave it.
Once, after having said with great fervor: "What do
I desire in heaven, and what can I wish on earth, except
Thee alone, O my God!" she called her little infirma-
rian to her, and inquired: " Shall I last much longer?"
The latter answered that it was the doctor's opinion she
would not die. Then Margaret Mary cried out: "Ah,
Lord! when wilt Thou recall me from this place of
exile ?" and asked Marie-Nicole to recite the Litanies of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus and those of the Blessed Vir-
gin. After that she desired her assistants to invoke St.
Joseph, St. Francis de Sales, and her guardian angel to
come to her aid; and then relapsed into a silence of sev-
eral hours.
In the evening a last thought of humility, of love for
the hidden life, began to preoccupy her. She called Sis-
ter de Farges, and asked her to burn all that remained of
Her Holy Death. 287
her writings, and particularly the Memoire drawn up by
order of Father Rollin. The Sister, seeing the peril,
gently insinuated that it would be more perfect to remit
herself into the hands of Superiors and abandon every-
thing to holy obedience. At these words the patient
ceased to insist. As Sister de Farges showed distress
at seeing Margaret Mary so convinced of her approach-
ing death, the saint repeated to her what she had sev-
eral times said, namely, that her death was necessary for
the glory of the Heart of Jesus.
Thus passed the day and the night of October 16th.
On the morning of the 17th, whose eve she was not to see,
being attacked by some slight fainting spells, she asked
for holy Viaticum. The physician was called in haste.
He again declared that there was nothing urgent in the
case, and that she would not die. " You will see!" said
the saint. When he left, she said to Sister de Farges,
in allusion to the holy Viaticum just refused her: " Hap-
pily, I foresaw that. I doubted as to whether they would
believe me so ill, and so I communicated yesterday for
this intention." This last decision of the physician
having reassured the Community, the Sisters dispersed
to their various duties. Sister de Farges alone remained
with Margaret Mary, who conversed with her upon the
ineffable excess of God's love. Her words were few but
inflamed. Towards seven in the evening, a slight con-
vulsion having passed over the invalid, Sister des Claines
ran to call the Superioress. At this moment Sister de
Farges re-entered, and, thinking it only a passing crisis,
tried to stop her. " Let her go," said Margaret Mary,
"it is time."
The Superioress came, and wished to send for the
doctor. "Mother," said Margaret Mary, " I no longer
need any one but God alone, and to be buried in the
Heart of Jesus."
In an instant all the Sisters, notified that she was in
her last agony, hurried in and prostrated in tears at the
2&& Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
foot of her bed. Margaret Mary collected her remain-
ing strength to conjure them to love God, but without
division, without reserve, and then warned them that
it was time to give her Extreme Unction.
The priest entered and began the ceremony, the saint
being recollected and absorbed in prayer. Suddenly
she raised herself, to present her members for the last
unction. At this moment two Sisters, impelled solely
by their affection for her, threw themselves forward to
support her in their arms. These two Sisters who rose
so spontaneously were, to the right, Sister Peronne-Rosa-
lie Verchere and, to the left, Sister de Farges — the same
to whom the saint had foretold that she would die in
their arms. They had lost sight of her words at the
moment. They remembered the prediction only after-
ward, and affirmed the incident under oath. At the
anointing of the Fourth Sense, Margaret Mary sweetly
expired in their arms, pronouncing the Holy Name of
Jesus, October 17, 1690, at seven o'clock in the even-
ing. She was aged forty-three years two months and
four days.
When the saint, consumed by seraphic ardor, was
going to enjoy the sweet embraces of the Heart of
Jesus,1 an unknown beauty spread over her face; her
features, so delicate and so pure, assumed a heavenly
expression. The two young Sisters that supported her
in their arms received such an electric current of divine
love that one of them, Sister Verchere, scarcely twenty-
four years old, made a vow the next day to do always
what was most perfect ; the other, Sister de Farges,
vowed herself to that extraordinary life of sanctity which
surnamed her a second Margaret Mary. The physician
was kneeling at the foot of the bed. On recovering
from his astonishment, he said that he was not surprised
that Margaret Mary, having lived by love, had died of
love. But one cry was heard throughout the house:
1 Decret de Beatification.
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Her Holy Death, 289
"The saint is dead!" And that cry having crossed the
grate, in an instant the whole town was in the parlors
asking to see her for the last time. When taken to the
choir, two entire days were spent in touching her vir-
ginal remains with chaplets, medals, and crucifixes. The
witnesses at the process of canonization knew not how
to describe the eagerness of the crowd, the enthusiastic
veneration, the touching recollection, and the sweet
odor of sanctity exhaled from the virginal remains.
The sacrifice was ended; but the incense was still smok-
ing and embalming the church.
On the afternoon of the second day after her death,
a number of the clergy met for the funeral rites. They
buried the illustrious virgin under one of the choir
flags, near the spot upon which she was kneeling when
the Lord appeared to her. The first part of the grand
drama of the Sacred Heart, the private part, was ended*,
the second was about to begin.
2 9° Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
CHAPTER XVI.
DEVOTION TO THE HEART OF JESUS BEGINS IN THE
WORLD— ANGER OF SOME, ENTHUSIASM OF OTHERS.
*' Quare fremuerunt gentes, et populi meditati sunt inania 7"
" Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things ¥'
—Psalm ii. I.
" Venient, et adorabunt."
' ' They shall come and adore/' — Psalm ixxxv. a.
lHE saint is dead! There is no longer any oDstacle
to the glory of the Heart of tesusT The Dure
alabaster vase is shattered, but its perfume
spreads abroad! This the saint had predicted; this really
happened. Hardly had the virgin closed her eyes, when
the secrets hidden in the depths of the convents of Paray,
Dijon, Moulins, Semur, escaped. Father Croiset pub-
lished the "Abridged Life " of the saint; her incompar-
able Memoire saw the light; and, in a flash, the report of
the sublime revelations of the Sacred Heart filled France
ana the whole Church.
It seems that, even if such a revelation were not
entnusiastically welcomed by all, it could nowhere meet
with opposition: for what is more natural than devo-
tion to the Heart of Jesus? What more luminous has
ever sprung from Christianity or from humanity than
devotion to the Sacred Heart ? Everywhere and always
has the heart of man been honored: why, then, be aston-
ished that we should adore the Heart of the Man-God ?
The heart is the organ of love. Scarcely come into
the world, even before putting his hand on his forehead
to say, "I think," man puts his hand on his heart and
says, "I love!" is this God's inspiration? is it innate
The Devotion begins in the World. 291
impulse? is it instinctive movement? Whatever it may-
be, from it man has not varied for six thousand years.
Take the greatest geniuses of antiquity: Moses,1 Job,2
David,3. Solomon,4 Isaias;5 take Homer,6 Euripides,7
Theocrites,8 Ovid,9 Plautus: ,0 to them, as to St. Augus-
tine, Dante, Tasso, Shakespeare, Corneille, Bossuet,
Racine; to all authors, sacred and profane, the heart is
the seat of the strongest affections. It is expanded in
happiness, it is contracted in sadness; it palpitates
more quickly in enthusiasm; and sometimes, like those
musical instruments that utter strains so brilliant under
the passionate touch of some great artist, it breaks with
love.
There is nothing more divine in the natural order of
things than the union of our soul and body. If our
1 " Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo." Deut. vi. 5,
X. 12, xi. 13, xxx. 2. " Cor meum diligit principes." — -Jud. v. 9.
2 Job xxix. 13, xxxi. 9.
3 " Defecit caro mea et cor meum. Deus cordis mei, et pars mea,
Deus, in aeternum." — Psalm lxxii. 26.
4 " Vulnerasti cor meum, soror mea, sponsa, in uno crine colli tui."
— Cant. iv. 9. " Ego dormio, et cor meum vigilat." — Cant. v. 2.
" Prsebe, fili mi, cor tuum mihi." — Prov. xxiii. 26.
5 Passim, in more than ten places.
6 Horn., Iliad, 206; Odyssey.
7 Eur., Hipp., 26.
8 Theocr. xxix. 4, et Aristoph., Nab. 86.
9 «< Virginibus cordi, grataque forma sua est." — Ov. Medic, fac, 32.
" Molle, cupidineis nee inexpugnabile telis
Cor mihi, quodque levis causa moveret, erat."
Ov. Prist. , iv. 10, 65.
10 " Corde amore inter se."
Plaut. Capt., ii. 3, 60.
* Meum mel, meum cor, mea colostra."
Id., Pcen., i. 2, 154,
" Nunc denum sum liber, meum corculum."
Id. , Cas. , iv. 4, 14.
Expressions usual among all Latin authors : " Cordi esse;" "Corde
habere" See Forcellini, Lexicon totius latinitatis.
29 2 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
means of investigation were more perfect, we should see
in the slightest turnings and windings of the brain the
revelation of the most imperceptible thoughts of our
mind. In like manner, if a delicate hand, the hand of an
angel for example, were laid on our breast, we should
discern the slightest emotion of love, whether good,
elevated, pure and noble, indifferent or bad, that
momentarily causes our heart to beat.
Thus, in all times and under all skies, when an em-
blem of love is needed, men represent it by a heart.
This remark does not apply so much, as we know, to
antiquity; for then men loved with the senses, and
these, alas! were what they made use of as symbols.
Our words hold good for Christian times, because in
them man loves with his heart.
Antiquity, however, though almost submerged in the
sensual, was not^ wholly ignorant of pure, ideal love;
and the representation of a heart was not altogether
unknown. But it is rarely found among the frivolous
Greeks, excepting engraved as souvenirs and emblems1
on rings and medals. The Egyptians, on the contrary,
those deep thinkers, deemed the heart everything in
man's home; and in the divine scarabee, which the
Egyptians wore upon their breast, there is a special
mention of the heart, that grand power of man.2 It
1 Heart. ' ' This form is very ancient in the arts. We find it in the
medals de Cardia in the peninsula of Thrace. It is a sign indicative of
the name of the city, which signifies heart." — Dictionnaire des beaux-
arts, par Millin, membre de lTnstitut (Paris, 1838). "I recollect,"
writes the learned archaeologist of Autun, M.Bulliot, " to have formerly
seen a ring (in the Jaubert collection at Moulins-Engilbert) bearing a
heart with a Greek legend. The collection has been scattered, un>
fortunately, without hope of ever again being collected." See, also, a
mirror in bronze, in M. Dobree's collection at Nantes, representing
Eolus in the midst of the Alcyones, framed with a border of hearts.
2 Thanks are due to the kindness of M. Francois Lenormand. It is
one of the new proofs that science furnishes of the long relations of the
Jewish people with the Egyptians; for we know that in the Holy Scrip-
The Devotion begins in the World. 293
was the same with the Romans, and even with the
Etruscans, called by Cicero "the most religious of all
nations." They hung around the neck of their chil-
dren jewels frequently in the form of a heart, to remind
them, says a pagan author, that without the heart man
is nothing.1 And even in their infancy, as if fearing
that the lesson might come too late, mothers fastened it
to the curls of their first-born.2 The Gauls, so good, so
ardent, so tender, and, Tacitus says, so chaste, were not
strangers to this great doctrine. We have reason to
believe that their wives wore a heart suspended from
the neck,3 and that the husbands wore on their
tures the heart is very frequently mentioned. Whoever wishes to meas-
ure the extent and truth of this remark needs only to open a concord-
ance at the word Cor.
1 " Nonnulli credunt ingenuis pueris attributum, ut cordis figur am
in bulla ante pectus annecterent, quam aspicientes, ita demum se homi-
nes cogitarent, si corde praestarent." — Macrob. , Saturn., i. 6. "Others
believed that to children of free condition the right was accorded to
wear on the breast an orna7nent in the shape of a heart, that the sight
of it might awaken the thought that man is truly a man only by reason
of his heart." — Traduction de C. de Rosoy (Paris, Didot, 1827). Accord-
ing to others, " this ball in the shape of a heart that free children wore
on the breast," etc. — Traduct. nouvelle par Henri Decamps (Paris,
Panckoucke, editor, 1845). "These balls," says Montfaucon, " were
hollow in order to contain an amulet, according to Macrobe. He
found nutnbers heart-shaped, others round." (Montfaug., Antiquite's
explique'es, t. iii.) The Montfaucon engravings give two balls on
which the heart is engraved, and three that have the form of it (PL,
XXXVII). Casale in his work De Veterum christian. Ritibus (Rom.,
1644, p. 265) cites a marble statue of a young pagan who wore a heart
on the gold ball. See Caylus also, \* Recueil d? Antiquite's" t. iv.
Balls in the form of the heart: PI. XLIX., No. 1; PL L., No. z\ PL
XC, No. 1.
2 " They gave it to little children also, but fastened it on the fore-
head."— Montfaucon, Antiqziite's explique'es supple'm. 46.
3 See, at the Besancon museum, a heart found in a tomb Gallo-
Roman d'Eternoz (Doubs). This heart is formed of a sort of paste,
surrounded by silver filigree very finely wrought, with a ring to suspend
it from the neck. This magnificent Gallo-Roman jewel was found
with bracelets, swords, cutlasses, clasps, etc. See, also, at the museum
294 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
finger a ring on which were engraven two hearts
united.1
What was only a germ in antiquity soon expanded
under the more genial warmth of the Gospel. The
golden balls, filled with charms and worn by young
pagans around the neck, were now refilled with relics
of the saints and martyrs, the image of whom was some-
times engraven on them, and the balls themselves grad-
ually assumed the form of a heart.2 This form or rep-
resentation of a heart became very popular. We find
it engraven on the pedestals of sacred vessels,3 and on
of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in that portion called the Merovingian Hall,
another heart like this, similar in material and size, but wrought with
less taste and delicacy. See, in the Orleans museum, a little gold
medal, round in form, whereon is engraven a heart. There is a little
ring to it, which proves that it was worn from the neck. These three
very precious jewels are Gallo-Roman ; but it is difficult to fix their
precise epoch. See, in fine, a heart in bronze of great antiquity, found
in the forest of Compiegne (Museum of Saint-Germain, Hall of Mars).
1 Rings in gold or silver found at Veillois (Poitou) closed by two
united hearts, changing in color and made of a transparent paste en-
graved. The Gallo-Roman rings are very numerous. We have seen
three at the museum of Nantes, in the private collection of M. Paren-
teau. Are these rings pagan or Christian ? It is hard to say, the
subjects engraven on the paste being but ill-preserved.
2 From this usage sprang that of the Christians wearing on the breast
Agnus Dei made from paschal wax in the form of a heart. See the
great work of Fanciroli {La Bulla d'oro de" fanciulli romani, Romfe,i732,
p. 14). Museum of Cluny, jewels found in the Seine, quay of the gold-
smiths. See also nine specimens of hearts worn on the neck, twelfth
and thirteenth centuries. Very often the heart is hollow, and in it is
the statuette of a saint.
3 The most remarkable vase from this point of view is what they call
the Gourdon chalice (at the Museum of Medals in Paris). It is not a
chalice, but very probably a holy-oil vase for Confirmation. On the
base is found a Latin cross, the corners ornamented by four hearts, one
in garnets, the others in turquoise. The little vase is itself ornamented
with a garland of hearts. This precious memorial was found with
some gold coin of the sixth century, from 518 to 527, under the reign
of the Emperor Justin.
The Devotion begins in the World. 295
the crowns of kings.1 They painted and embroidered
it on the most precious textures of the Middle Ages;2
we are pleased to find it even in the games and relaxa-
tions of life;3 above all, they engraved it on marriage-
rings.4 It was suspended from altars, and placed on
tombs as a souvenir, a symbol of affection that survives
death.5
Soon chivalry arose. As it had need of a mysterious
sign to hide and, at the same time, reveal the face be-
neath the casque, heraldry was invented. And now the
heart appeared sparkling under a thousand various
forms in the armorial bearings of the oldest families of
England, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, etc. It was
a heart wounded or inflamed; again two hearts united;
or a heart crowned; a heart pierced with an arrow, etc.,
1 Not having seen the original and knowing only one design of it, we
merely repeat the words of others when we say that on the celebrated
iron crown at Monza, a crown of the Byzantine style ornamented with
diamonds, there are four hearts set in the four corners. (Du Sorn-
merard, Les Arts an Moyen Age, Album, X. serie, planche XIV. , No. 6.)
2 See the rich silk stuffs preserved at Aix-la-Chapelle. On one of
these Byzantine stuffs, of solid green and red, we see swans facing each
other, and on the border a series of hearts, also facing each other.
{Melanges cFarche'oIogie, par les PP. Charles Cahier et Arthur Martin.
Paris, Poussielgue, 1851. Tome II., PI. XII.) See, also, at Fonte-
vrault, the statue of Isabella d'AngouIeme, wife of John Lackland,
died in 1 21 8. On the corsage of her robe are three hearts reversed.
(Annates archil., v. p. 281.)
3 This is not the place to enter into a dissertation on the game of
cards. We know its antiquity, and the part that the heart plays in it.
4 See records of marriages at the close of the fourteenth and the
fifteenth centuries. There are numbers of them, and the wedding-rings
are always two hearts united together with an infinite variety of most
delicate devices.
6 See some of the primitive churches, the ' ' Marble of St. Agnes"
cemetery (V. Boldetti, Osservationi supra i cimiteri, Roma, 1720,
P- 373)> where three hearts, perfectly formed, surround a little grated
opening destined, according to all appearances, to let the eye penetrate
into the interior of a tomb. — Diction, des antiq. chrttiennes , par
l'Abbe Martigny: Cceur.
296 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
ingenious revelation of the heart, sensitive, loving,
wounded, or sad, that beat under the corselet of steel.1
But they were not to pause here. Homages grander,
more striking, were to demonstrate man's idea of the
human heart. These representations of the heart in
gold, silver, or precious stones were, after all, very-
cold ! Why is it that when a great man, a hero, a bene-
factor, a saint dies, his fellow-men respectfully open
his breast? Why do they draw out his heart, that
sacred relic of love, and, embalming it in the per-
fumes of gratitude, preserve it as a souvenir ? This is
done everywhere. Everywhere is preserved man's heart ;
it is even borne in triumphal procession ; it is given an
1 In France, for example, the families of :
Lemin de Bransac — three silver hearts, engraved two at the
head, the other at the point, of the shield.
Du Garreau (in Limousin and in Perigord) — field of sky-blue
with a stripe of gold, at the base a heart of the same, having
a cross also of gold.
De Lestang (in Berri) — two hearts opposite to the base of the
shield.
D'Arnoult — a stripe of red on a field of silver, with three hearts
placed two at the base, the other at the apex, of the shield.
De Cuers de Gozolin — azure on a field of gold, with three
hearts of the same, two at the base, and the third at the apex,
of the shield.
De Cursai — on a field of silver a fiery-red heart, supported by
cross-pieces, also red.
Lemercier de Maisoncelle — azure on a field of silver, with two
golden stars at the base of the shield and a heart of gold at
the apex.
In England, see the families of :
Cathcart — a hand holding a crowned heart above the coat-of-
arms, in the centre of which is a heart uncrowned.
Cockburn — a heart in the centre of the coat- of -arms.
Douglas — two hearts crowned.
Johnstone — a single heart crowned.
Morton — two hearts crowned.
Queensberry — two hearts crowned.
Torphichen — four hearts crowned.
The Devotion begins in the World. 297
exceptional burial ; and there is not one of our cathe-
drals that does not contain some example touching the
sublime veneration of man for the heart of man.1
Soon a still more delicate thought was evoked. On the
brink of the tomb, when searching for what was most
precious to bequeath the tenderly loved, disdaining
gold and silver, fit only to reward inferior services, man
conceived the idea of leaving his heart to his dearest
ones. This under a symbolical form was the legacy of
that love with which it had been consumed. Cremation
had deprived the ancients of this touching and sublime
legacy. In Christian times it became universal. Kings,
queens, princes, bishops, even the saints made such do-
nations. When wandering through our ancient basilicas
and abbeys, Saint-Denis for example, or Fontevrault,
we meet at every step urns of marble, alabaster, or
bronze, containing the heart of a king, a queen, or a
prince. Though possessing immense lands, they de-
clared that what they could leave most precious to those
whom they loved was their heart.2
1 See, among others, at Saint-Denis : An urn of white marble,
sculptured by John Goujon, containing in the days of yore the heart of
Francis I. A spiral column surmounted by a bronze urn, on which
three cupids support a heart: in the urn was once inclosed the heart
of Henry III. Another sculptured column, surmounted by an urn,
once contained the heart of Francis II. See, at Nantes, the magnifi-
cent jewel set in gold, in which was inclosed the heart of Queen Anne
of Brittany, wife of King Louis XII., etc.
2 For example, Richard Coeur-de-Lion, who, dying (1199), be-
queathed his body to Fontevrault, his heart to Rouen. In like manner,
John Lackland's heart was deposited at Fontevrault (1216) in a golden
cup near the tomb of Henry II., King of England, deceased in 1189.
At Fontevrault the tomb of Isabella d'Angouleme (121 8) contained a
golden vase inclosing the heart of King Henry III., her son. Again,
Henry IV. gave the Jesuits his castle of La Fleche in which to establish
a college, and there he wished his heart to be preserved. (Duruy, Hist,
de France, ch. li. § 5.) St. Chantal gave her heart to the Visitation of
Paris, etc. , etc. There are thousands of examples of this custom.
[Mgr. Bougaud's own heart now rests in the Sacred Heart chapel of
the Visitation Convent at Orleans. It is sealed in a leaden box inclosed
298 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
This is the history of humanity. Right or wrong, foi
six thousand years, it has been thought that, if there
is anything of value on this poor earth, it is love ; and
that the sanctuary of love, its tabernacle, its consecrated
ciborium, is the heart. It has despised all else. Love
alone was esteemed, love alone was borne in triumph.
Not the dust of man's sword, nor of his sceptre, nor
even that of his genius has been honored ; but on the
whole face of the globe, has been carried in triumph only
the dust of his heart. Moreover, let that heart have been
a beneficent one, noble, elevated, pure, — a heart that beat
for others instead of itself, — and with more reason are
exceptional honors paid it. Is it, then, astonishing that
when a heart that surpassed all hearts appeared, unpre-
cedented enthusiasm was felt for it ? Had it been only
the heart of a man, it might have been carried in triumph :
but it was the Heart of the Man-God ! Homage, there-
fore, could not suffice ; adoration was necessary.
Here we are shocked by one of those problems of
which there are millions in the history of our poor
nature. As long as there was question of loving, honor-
ing, exalting man's heart, not one objection was raised ;
but as soon as there was question of the Heart of Jesus,
it became the object of outrageous abuse.
in a casket of oak. The following is the inscription at the base of the
monument :
1 ' Here rests in the peace of the Lord
The heart of the most Reverend and Illustrious
L. V. E. Bougaud,
Bishop of Laval,
Former Vicar-General of the Diocese of Orleans,
Who deserved well
Of the Visitation of Holy Mary
For writing in an able manner
The Life of St. J. F. de Chantal
And that of Blessed Margaret Mary,
And who was, by his numerous Writings
And Discourses, the Signal Defender of the Church."
— Translator s Note.]
The Devotion begins in the World. 299
Strange ! The grandest and most legitimate ideas,
the most touching of all that religion consecrates,
are scornfully rejected. What is there more beautiful,
more manifest to the eyes of the heart than the unity of
the human species, the brotherhood of all men and all
peoples ? Suppose that the Bible taught the contrary,
with what indignation, with what efforts of science
would men affirm the fact that we are all brethren !
But no ; because the Bible thus declares, they expend
the treasures of mind, wit, and learning to prove, first,
that we have nothing in common with the negro race ;
and secondly, by way of retaliation, that we are the
children of lower animals, of apes and baboons. A
similar thing happened when there was question of the
Heart of Jesus. Hardly had this sweet and august sign
begun to rise above the world than commenced uni-
versal revolt and conspiracy. Jansenists, rationalists,
wits, scholars, priests, and, alas! even bishops, seized the
pen, and left untried no species of raillery and contempt
in their effort to destroy tender and deep devotion to
the Sacred Heart.
One called it a new devotion. As if the Church inter-
dicted, or ever could interdict, new devotions ! A devo-
tion is not a dogma ; it is an act of love. To ask the
Church not to have new devotions is to ask a glowing
furnace not to dart its flames heavenward ; it is to ask
a heart that loves to hide within itself every manifesta-
tion of tenderness, never to grow young again by a new
expression of the unchangeable love that forms the
depths of its soul. It is over eighteen hundred years
since Jesus Christ died on the cross, over eighteen hun-
dred years since the Church at His feet adored and
loved Him ; but imagine not that at all times that love
and adoration were testified in the same way. There
were periods in which she kissed in preference His
sacred feet wearied in seeking us ; and others in which
His brow crowned with thorns, His face furrowed with
3°° Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
tears, most deeply touched her soul. To-day we rise to
His breast, we press our lips to His Sacred Heart in
eager desire to warm and inflame our own cold heart.
Strange people that ye are, ye that attack the Church !
If we Catholics do not advance, if we intrench ourselves
in our immutable doctrines, ye say that we are mum-
mies. And if we do advance, if we display the love that
is in us, ye say that we are inventors of novelties. Ye
ignore and blaspheme the double, the sublime character
of the Church, the immutability of faith, and the prog-
ress of love!
Others called the devotion absurd. What ! absurd to
honor a father's heart ! To love, to venerate, to pre-
serve with filial piety a mother's heart ! So incensed
were some minds at seeing the Heart of the Man-God
receiving Christian adoration that they began forthwith
to deny that man has a heart. In order to be able to
combat this noble organ even in the breast of the Man-
God, they preferred giving the brutal lie to the manifest
consent of mankind which has always made the heart
the seat of the affections. They called man's heart a
little morsel of flesh ' — a muscle;"1 and in the picture of the
Sacred Heart they only saw a great shining liver? clearly
evidencing by their fury that a decisive stroke was
hurled against it.
Others, again, they of the fastidious class, found the
devotion too material. " Adore matter ! Adore flesh !"
they said. "What a degradation !" As if it had just
entered man's mind that the material Heart of Jesus
Christ was to be separated from the sacred fire of His
love to which we offer our homage and veneration I
As if the Heart of Jesus Christ were more material than
were His feet and His hands, which we kiss ; His crown
of thorns, which we carry in triumph ; His cross of
wood, which He stained with His blood and before
1 Lettre pastorale de Scipien Ricci, eveque de Pistoie.
8 Histoire des sectes religieuses, t. ii. p. 246. 3 Ibid., p. 269.
The Devotion begins in the World. 301
which, for that reason, we cast ourselves on our knees !
No ; what they refused to adore was not flesh ! The
time was approaching in which these vainly scrupulous
souls would adore flesh, living and defiled, in the pro-
faned sanctuary of Notre Dame. What frightened
them was the suffering, the wounded flesh of their Re-
deemer! They pretended that to adore it was degrada-
tion ; though at heart they knew well that the adora-
tion of the wounded flesh of Jesus Christ is the condem-
nation of concupiscence in our own flesh, the apotheosis
of pure love, the glorification of sacrifice ; that is to
say, honor rendered to what is greatest, noblest, most
intellectual, and most divine in the heart.
Happily, there is humanity higher than man. Higher
than the narrow, violent, superficial portion that van-
ishes like the waves of passion, like the storms of wrath,
there is a calm, tranquil humanity that listens to false
reasoning with a smile, and then passes on.
This was what happened in the present case. Corre-
sponding to the deepest wants of the human soul, sweetly
and efficaciously responding to the sad wounds of this
epoch, the devotion to the Heart of Jesus began its tri-
umphal march from the day of Saint Margaret Mary's
death. The Visitation Order gave the signal. Paray,
Dijon, Semur,had already set up the banner of the Sacred
Heart. The following years saw all the other convents
rallying around it: in 1690, Marseilles, Montbrison,
Nantes ; in 1691, Autun, the first convent of Lyons, that
of Fribourg, and the second of Rennes ; in 1692, Besan-
con, Blois, Loudun ; in 1693, Aix, Bordeaux, Bourges,
Farcalquier, Langres, the second of Lyons, Nevers,
Valence, Toulouse ; in 1694, Dieppe, Thonon, the second
of Marseilles, Salins ; in 1695, Chaillot, Perigueux,
Pont-a-Mousson, Montargis ; in 1696, Nancy, Aurillac,
Romans, Naples ; in 1697, the first of Rouen, Rumilly,
Arone, Caen, Condrieux ; in 1698, the second of Paris,
Orleans, Mamers, Vannes ; 1699, Montf errand ; in 1700,
302 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Troyes, Metz, Saint-Etienne, and shortly after Amiens,.
Auxerre, etc. The seventeenth century is nearly ended.
Only ten years had passed since Margaret Mary died,
and already the Visitation houses, one after another,
had risen to consecrate themselves to the Heart of Jesus.
We would be interminable did we undertake to relate
all the touching, beautiful, and sublime facts, all the
charming episodes that marked the triumphal march of
the devotion of the love of Jesus throughout the Visita-
tion. Its convents drew from it strength to remain fer-
vent amid the defections of the eighteenth century, and
tenderly loving in face of the cold sophisms of Jansen-
ism. This sacred fire, so carefully guarded by the
Visitation, though sad were the times, shone through
her grates. Each Community became the centre of a
Confraternity of the Sacred Heart, by means of which
the whole neighboring country grew warm again. To
cite only one fact : in 1698, eight years after Margaret
Mary's death, the Confraternity of Dijon numbered
from twelve to thirteen thousand associates, not only
in Burgundy, France, but in Spain, England, and
Germany.
Such a movement would not have been possible if the
French bishops, the Superiors of the Visitation con-
vents, had not approved it. But we find them every-
where blessing chapels, erecting Confraternities, and
presiding at those first feasts of the Heart of Jesus, so
private, so recollected, and so sweet, in the interior of
the convents.
Soon, however, they opened to it their cathedrals. In
1688, Charles de Brienne, Bishop of Coutances, estab
lished in his diocese the feast of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus. In 1694, Antoine Pierre de Grammont, Arch,
bishop of Besancon, ordered that it should be celebrated
in his metropolitan see. In 17 19, Francois Villeroy,
Archbishop of Lyons, published an admirable pastoral in
favor of devotion to the Sacred Heart, which he also
The Devotion begins in the World. 303
established himself in all the churches of his diocese.
Every year saw similar things. But though triumphant,
the march of the devotion of love was still slow and
timid, until, all at once, in 1720, thirty years after the
death of Margaret Mary, an extraordinary fact occurred
to hurry it on.
The pestilence from the East burst upon the city of
Marseilles, and in a short time reaped a harvest of forty
thousand souls. The silence of death fell on the streets
and public places encumbered by dead bodies. In vain
had the survivors recourse to penance and prayer.
Nothing could disarm the divine anger. At last the
saintly prelate of Marseilles, Mgr. de Belzunce, received
a heavenly inspiration. It came to him from a religious
of the Visitation, Sister Anne-Madeleine Remusat, to
whom he frequently had recourse to strengthen his
heart and rouse his courage, and who never ceased to
exhort him to place his hope in the Adorable Heart of
Jesus. One day, therefore, November 2, 1720, like
another Borromeo, the prelate, barefooted, a cord around
his neck, a cross in his arms, left his palace accompanied
by all his religious and priests, and many other holy
souls. When the procession reached the principal
square of Marseilles the bishop knelt, and, amid silence
broken only by the sobs and groans of the assembly,
solemnly consecrated his diocese to the Heart of Jesus.
From that moment, as if by enchantment, the pestilence
ceased : not another interment took place at Marseilles.
The municipal body, however, had taken no part in
the public demonstration ; two years later, therefore,
the plague reappeared. Repenting their fault, the
authorities vowed to go yearly, on the feast of the
Sacred Heart, to communicate in the Church of the
Visitation, there offer a white wax taper ornamented
with the city escutcheon, and take part on that same
day in a public procession. As soon as the proceedings
were drawn up and signed by all the officials, the scourge
3°4 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
ceased with the same suddenness as on the first occasion.
It is from this event that the city of Marseilles dates
devotion to the Sacred Heart, so productive of good
during the horrors of the Revolution, and which in our
own day has played so brilliant a part in the sanctifica-
tion of souls.
Such events could not overrun a country so Christian
as was Provence at that time without shedding their
radiance everywhere. After the example of the illus-
trious Henry de Belzunce, the Archbishops of Aix,
Aries, Avignon, as well as the bishops of Toulon and
Carpentras, hastened to issue orders for the establish-
ment of the feast in their respective dioceses. Soon
the whole south proclaimed devotion to the Sacred
Heart.
Shortly after, and under circumstances most favorable,
the long-expected history of Saint Margaret Mary
appeared. Its author was Mgr. Languet, formerly
vicar-general of Autun, Superior of the Visitation of
Paray, and at that moment Archbishop of Sens. No
one was more capable of knowing Margaret Mary than
he, for he had been in daily communication with herself,
her contemporaries, and her disciples. Unfortunately,
the gloomy spirit of the eighteenth century had slightly
impressed upon him its mark ; and besides, the violent
attacks of the rationalists and the impious had rather
hampered his piety. Instead of narrating he discusses.
He tries to explain what he should have enthusiastically
contemplated. The eighteenth century was not made
to understand such a figure, nor was he the man to
paint it ; therefore his work, cold and incomplete, timid
and indiscreet, added fury to the tempest that it should
have stilled.
They who have had occasion to page through the
writings of the eighteenth century, pamphlets, journals,
light poetry, ecclesiastical leaves, all so infected with
venom, may form some idea of the rage, contempt, and
The Devotion begins in the World. 305
raillery roused against Margaret Mary and the Sacred
Heart. We have had in our hands at Dijon a collection
of manuscripts in which are found the verses of Piron,
the Christmas carols, satirical ballads of la Monnaye,
letters of President Bouhier, and sonnets from the
various Burgundian wits of the eighteenth century.
One cannot conceive the insipidity, the sottish pleas-
antry roused by the name of Alacoque, the surname of
Margaret Mary, the stupid play upon words connected
with devotion to the Sacred Heart, the sarcasm launched
against Mgr. Languet. But these times have iong
passed. France has indeed still many wounds ; but more
than a hundred years separate us from such an epoch.
Before long the society of the nineteenth century will
appear to be bound and strongly welded to the great
society of the seventeenth, of whom she is the legiti-
mate daughter. The miserable interval between them
will no longer be reckoned. It is like a lovely morn
and a balmy evening forming one beautiful summer
day, though its noon has been darkened by a storm
whose last traces may be floating far off on the edge of
the horizon.
Whilst the wits spent their arrows against devotion to
the Sacred Heart, it continued its march, exciting anger
and arousing enthusiasm, wounding and captivating the
hearts of men. It had already left France, and spread
along the shores of the Mediterranean. In 1733 it was
established at Constantinople ; in 1740, at Aleppo and
Damascus, in Lebanon. The Life o) Saint Margaret
Mary, translated into Arabic and published at Antora,
a city of Anti-Lebanon, spread through the vast plains
of Ccele-Syria, from the great Hermon to the Baltic.
It even extended further. After 1709, we find two Con-
fraternities of the Sacred Heart at Macao, another at
Pekin ; and in 1743 a third was erected in the very
heart of the imperial palace.
Rome is, however, always slow to sanction novelties
306 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
in devotion. In 1726 Frederick Augustus, King of
Poland, vainly addressed a most pressing supplication
to Benedict XIII.; in vain had the French bishops
in 1728 conjured the See of St. Peter to recognize
the feast of the Sacred Heart; in vain did the King
of Spain, Philip V., and shortly after the prelates of
Poland, formulate a similar request. Rome would not
yield. The Congregation of Rites even issued a decree,
by which, July 30, 1729, on the decision of him who
was, some time after, to become Benedict XIV., it abso-
lutely refused to authorize the demand. And lo, the
Jansenists clapped their hands with joy! What was
there, however, astonishing in the hesitancy of the Holy
See ? There was question of a private revelation not
yet canonically examined; of a religious who died, it is
true, in the odor of sanctity, whose process of canoniza-
tion, begun in 1715, was still under the official seals; of
a devotion, in fine, that touched the most profound mys-<
teries of Christianity, but of which the first theologians
or historians had spoken in so inexact a way that one
of the chief and most pious works respecting it had
been put on the Index. The devotion, on the other
hand, bordered so closely upon the physiological ques-
tion of the functions of the heart in the human organ-
ism that, as the Jansenists said, they could not decide
the one without the other. The question was, then, to
be considered more closely before giving a definite solu-
tion. Instead of censuring the Holy See, its prudence
makes us admire it.
Thirty-six years more, 1729-1765, were employed in
letting the question mature in the minds of theolo-
gians, in the disputations of the schools, in the hearts
of Christians, in the intuitions of saints, until one
appeared whom Providence had chosen solemnly to
inaugurate the devotion to the Sacred Heart through-
out the Church. Scarcely was the illustrious Clement
XIII. seated on the chair of St. Peter than, prompted
The Devotion begins in the World. 307
thereto by the ever-increasing intrigues of the Jansen-
ists and the incessant solicitations of the prelates, par-
ticularly those of Poland, the question was again agi-
tated, and decided amidst the applause of the Church.
A decree, dated 1765, granted to the prelates of Poland
and the Roman Archconfraternity permission to cele-
brate with Mass and proper Office the feast of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus. Liberty was left to other prel-
ates to solicit the same for their respective dioceses.
Hardly had this decree been issued, when the clergy
assembled at Paris hastened, at the importunity of the
pious Queen Marie Leczinska, to subscribe to it; and it
was decided that the devotion to the Heart of Jesus
should be established in all the dioceses of France.
Thus did God, on the eve of their great misfortunes,
reunite Poland and France, that they might work
together at the spread of devotion to the Heart of Jesus
in the Church. We may believe that this Heart, the
most faithful of all hearts, will one day return all that
it has received.
Thus stood affairs in 1765. Less than a century after
Margaret Mary's death, the first part of her mission was
realized — the devotion to the Heart of Jesus was officially
established in the Church. And if the solemn feast
demanded by the Lord for the Friday after the octave
of the Blessed Sacrament is not yet of obligation, it is
at least authorized by the Sovereign Pontiff. The rest
is only a matter of time.
As to the second part of our saint's mission, that
which regarded France and the king, it was in a less
advanced state. Louis XIV. died too blinded by his pas-
sions and, when they were chilled by age, too enervated
by his pride, to have any suspicion of the abyss into
which his errors and disorders were about to precipitate
France. Louis XV., who succeeded him, saw the danger,
for from year to year the gulf widened; but the sight
affected him little. The monarchy would last as long
308 Life- of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
as he, and the future mattered not to this voluptuous
egotist. For a greater reason, neither the one nor the
other dreamed of the supernatural remedy God had
made known to Margaret Mary. We may even believe,
seeing how little they interested themselves in it, that
the second revelation never reached them.
However, when looking at it more closely, we are per-
suaded that the mission confided by Margaret Mary to
Mother de Saumaise had been fulfilled, and that Louis
XIV. knew exactly what God desired of him. Sad in-
deed as might be that court of Versailles, it was full of
the Sacred Heart. It was that Heart that there consoled
the afflicted queens, the deserted wives, souls agitated
by sad presentiments. We even think we can perceive
in those more nearly related to Louis XIV. and Louis
XV. certain delicate, indefinable efforts to supply for
what those monarchs should have done and which they
did not do. If, for example, the first convent of the
Visitation at Paris undertook to build, in 1694, on the
Mansart plan, a handsome chapel to the Heart of Jesus,
it was the Queen of England, Henrietta Maria of
France, aunt of Louis XIV., who laid the first stone,
and who wished to be inscribed first on the register of
the Confraternity.1 A little after, the third convent of
Paris, that of Chaillot, decided to establish, every first
Friday of the month, a solemn Benediction with an Act
of Reparation to the Heart of Jesus. The Duchess
of Orleans was frequently perceived assisting at it.
Kneeling on the ground among the crowd, she was seen
trying to hide herself, her tears, and her painful anxiety
of heart.2 At the same time, the grand personages of
the court pressed around Sister Marie-Ele.onore, Princess
of Lorraine, a poor and humble religious of the Visita-
tion of Paris, supplicating her to inscribe them on the
1 Circular of the second convent of Paris, May 25, 1698.
2 Circular of the convent of Chaillot, November 26, 1739.
The Devotion begins in the World. 309
register of the Confraternity of the Sacret Heart.1 A lit-
tle later, at the court of Louis XV., the devotion increased
still more. By the side of those salons in which were
enthroned the Pompadours and the Du Barrys, there
were humble oratories in which the most admirable
royal family in tears took refuge: the pious queen,
Marie Leczinska; her four daughters, one of whom was
Madame Louise of France; the Dauphin, father of Louis
XVI., and his young and saintly wife. Never before
were witnessed scandals so closely allied with virtues
so angelic. In the whole royal family devotion to the
Heart of Jesus was alive. It betrayed itself in so marked
a manner that it is impossible to believe that the reve-
lation to the saint relative to the king of France was
not known at the court. It was the queen, the pious
and admirable wife of Louis XV., Marie Leczinska, who
solicited and obtained from the bishops of France, sum-
moned to Paris for the assembly of 1765, that the public
worship of the Sacred Heart should, "according to her
ardent desire," be established in all the dioceses of
France.2 She and her daughters, amid ineffable pri-
vate sorrows, and apprehensions of inevitable public
misfortunes, found no other consolation than in devo-
tion to the Heart of Jesus. The Dauphin went further.
He caused to be erected in the very palace of Ver-
sailles, as a place of refuge for them all, a chapel
to the Sacred Heart.3 It was thence came forth one
day, beautiful and pure, to shut herself up among
the Carmelites, the daughter of Louis XV., Madame
Louise of France, whom the Church has already de-
clared Venerable, and who is going to be raised to her
altars. If the sacrifice of an unspotted dove were in
proportion to our crimes, France would have been saved;
1 Circular of the second convent of Paris, May 25, 1698. Annee
Sainte, Life of Sister Marie-Eleonore de Lorraine, vol. iii. p. 128.
2 Proces-verbaux du clerge, t. viii. p. 1440.
3 Life of the Dauphin, Father of Louis XVI.
3!0 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
but it had been ordained in the adorable designs of God
that even the immolation of the king should not suffice,
and that France should be saved only by the Sacred
Heart.
The son of him who had erected an oratory to the
Heart of Jesus in the palace of Versailles, Louis XVI.,
had not yet mounted the throne when the tempest burst
forth. Its progress was terrible. Every year saw an
anchor break away, and soon it became evident that no
human hand could stay the rudder. Then it was that
the unfortunate Louis XVI. decided, though too late,
to perform an action which, had it come in time, would
perhaps have averted the danger. Cast from the throne
into prison ; overwhelmed, not by his own misfortunes
(for he had a soul magnanimous enough to rise above
them), but by the misfortunes of France ; seeing no re-
sources on any side, he thought of Saint Margaret
Mary, and of the secret that had been confided to his
grandfather. He resolved to accomplish the consecra-
tion of France to the Heart of Jesus, which God had
asked of his fathers, but which had not been effected.
With that hand and heart with which, so shortly after,
were to be written those sublime pages called the "Last
Will of Louis XVI.," he himself drew up the act of con-
secration of his person and his kingdom to the Heart of
Jesus.
We give this act, in which are found the very terms
of our saint, the precise things that God had asked of
her ; and which, coming to us through the tears, the
anguish of Louis XVI. in prison, has something solemn
and tragic in it, like the last cries of a shipwrecked voy-
ager still vainly striving to save his loved ones.
"Thou seest, O my God, the wounds that rend my
heart, the depth of the abyss into which I am fallen, and
the innumerable evils that encompass me on all sides \
To my own frightful misfortunes and those of my
family are joined, to overwhelm my soul, those that
The Devotion begins in the World. 311
sweep over the face of my kingdom. The cries of the
unfortunate, the groans of oppressed religious sound in
my ears. An interior voice again warns me that per-
haps Thy justice reproaches me with all these calami-
ties, because in the days of my power I did not repress
their principal sources, namely, the license of the people
and irreligion ; because I myself have furnished trium-
phant heresy with arms by favoring it with laws which
have increased its strength and rendered it audacious.
" O Jesus Christ, Divine Redeemer of all our iniqui-
ties, it is into Thy Adorable Heart that I desire to pour
out my afflicted soul. I call to my aid the tender heart
of Mary, my august protectress and my mother, and the
assistance of St. Louis, my patron and the most illus-
trious of my ancestors ! Open, O Adorable Heart, and
from the pure hands of my powerful intercessors receive
graciously the satisfactory vows my confidence inspires
me to make, and which I offer Thee as the simple ex-
pression of my sentiments.
" If, by an effect of Thy infinite goodness, O God, I
regain my liberty, my crown, and my royal power, I
solemnly promise :
" 1. To revoke as soon as possible all the laws that
shall be pointed out to me, whether by the Pope, or by
a council, or by four bishops chosen among the most
virtuous and enlightened of my kingdom, as contrary to
integrity and purity of faith, to the discipline and
spiritual jurisdiction of the Holy Roman, Catholic,
Apostolic Church, and notably the civil Constitution of the
Clergy.
" 2. Within a year to take, with the Pope and bishops
of my kingdom, all necessary measures to establish in
canonical form a solemn feast in honor of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus, which shall be celebrated to perpetuity
throughout France on the first Friday after the
octave of the Blessed Sacrament. This shall always
be followed by a public procession, to repair the out-
312 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
rages and profanations committed in the holy temples
by schismatics, heretics, and bad Christians, during the
time of our troubles.
" 3. Within three months, counting from the day of
my deliverance, to go in person to the church of Notre
Dame in Paris, or to any other principal church of the
place in which I may be, and on a Sunday or feast, at
the foot of the main altar, after the Offertory of the
Mass, and in the hands of the celebrant, pronounce a
SOLEMN ACT OF CONSECRATION OF MY PERSON, FAMILY, AND
kingdom to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with the prom-
ise to give my subjects an example of the honor and love
due this Adorable Heart.
"4. During the course of a year, counting from the
day of my deliverance, to erect and decorate at my
own expense, in the church that I shall choose for that
purpose, A CHAPEL IN WHICH AN ALTAR SHALL BE DEDI-
CATED to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and which shall
serve as an eternal monument of my gratitude, and of
my unlimited confidence in the infinite merits and the
inexhaustible treasures of grace inclosed in that Heart.
"5. Lastly, I resolve to renew every year, wherever
I may be, on the day upon which the feast of the Sacred
Heart is celebrated, the act of consecration contained
in the third article, and to assist at the public pro-
cession that shall follow the Mass of that day.
" To-day I can pronounce this engagement onty in
secret, but I am willing, if necessary, to sign it with my
blood. The most beautiful day of my life will be that
on which I shall be able to publish it aloud in the church.
" O Adorable Heart of my Saviour : may my right
hand be forgotten, and may I myself be forgotten, if
ever I forget Thy benefits and my promises, if ever I
cease to love Thee and to place in Thee my confidence
and consolation !"
Behold the consecration of France to the Heart of
Jesus by the lips^ or rather by the heart, of the martyr-
The Devotion begins in the World. 313
king ! Who does not feel that the words of the saintly
Sister really reached Louis XIV., and that they were
transmitted as a secret hope for the hour of peril ? All
that Margaret had asked is indeed done : a consecration
of France to the Heart of Jesus ; a national tempie
erected by the king, as an eternal monument of this
consecration ; and, lastly, a feast and a solemn proces-
sion the Friday after the octave of the Blessed Sacra-
ment. Whence would we derive all these facts, did we
not know the revelation made by God to Saint Mar-
garet Mary, and, until the present, hidden in the archives
of the Visitation of Paray? Now, all this the king
knew ; and he promised in his own name, in the name
of the royal family, in the name of France. Will there
not some day be found a soul to do honor to such a sig-
nature ?
After writing this consecration with his own hand,
Louis XVI. gave it to Pere Hebert, his .confessor, Supe-
rior-General of the Eudistes. The latter, fearing that so
important a document might be lost, immediately made
several copies of it, one of which he always carried
about him. When himself condemned to death, he hid
it at the moment of setting out for the scaffold in a chink
of the stones of his prison. The other copies were scat-
tered, though with a thousand perils, in the midst of
Christian families. At the same time began to be dis-
tributed from hand to hand, from dungeon to dungeon,
little images of the Sacred Heart, the rallying sign, the
gleam of hope. Soon even they were hoisted on the
battle-field of the Vendee. Had these images come from
the Temple, and did they know of the consecration of
Louis XVI. ? or rather, had they in them only the revela-
tion to Margaret Mary, and did they obey the same inspi-
ration as the martyr-king ? However that may be, when
they rose up in arms, Henri de la Rochejaquelin, Lescure,
Charette, Cathelineau, bore the Heart of Jesus on their
breast. This was the last thing that God had asked of
S^^Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Margaret Mary. The Vendeaos finished the work of
Louis XVI.
Why did not Almighty God accept such a consecration
of France from hands so pure, from a heart so worthy of
being heard ? one feels tempted to ask in amazement.
But we soon learn the reason. It was because Louis
XVI. was not king, — he was only a captive. The Vendeans
were the giants, the mighty ones, — but they were not France!
France, instead of proclaiming the consecration of Louis
XVI., dragged the king to the scaffold ; and instead of
uniting with the Vendeans, shot them. The national
homage demanded by God did not yet exist.
Thus ended the eighteenth century. When standing
at a distance in order to see best, we perceive, as it
were, a double France : the first suffering, the second
inflicting the pain ; the France of the victims, and the
France of the executioners. On the victims, to support
and console them, beamed the Adorable Heart of jesus.
As to the executioners, they also adored a heart. In the
threatening shadow in which they hid, or under the
sinister glare that enlightened them, we see some car-
rying in triumph the heart of Voltaire, and others kneel-
ing before the heart of Marat.
The Heart of Jesus, or the heart of Marat ! This was
the cry at the close of the eighteenth century. It would
be well for it, sooner or later, to receive an answer !
First-fruits of the Devotion, 315
CHAPTER XVII.
THE FIRST-FRUITS OF DEVOTION TO THE SACRtu
HEART— THE CHURCH OF FRANCE VIVIFIED IN THE
RAYS OF THE SACRED HEART— BEATIFICATION OF
SAINT MARGARET MARY.
"Jam hiems transiit ; imber abiit, et recessit. Flores apparuerunt
in terra nostra ; vox turturis audita est in terra nostra; vineae florentes
dederunt odorem suum. Surge, amica mea, speciosa mea, et veni."
" For winter is now past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers
have appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come : the voice of
the turtle is heard in our land : the vines in flower yield their sweet
smell. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come." — Cant. ii. 11-13.
AINT MARGARET MARY gradually came
forth from obscurity. She rose slowly in glory,
leaning on her Beloved.1 As long as the devotion
to the Heart of Jesus had not been approved at Rome
the humble Margaret remained in obscurity. But it
was now time for her to rise to our altars, that the glory
of the revelatrix might show forth resplendently the
beauty of the revelation.
The eighteenth century closed, however, without
Margaret Mary's being declared Venerable. Her process
of canonization had been begun in 1715; and although,
in its brevity, it felt the effects of the sad times through
which it was passing, though it had neither religious
grandeur nor the precision and abundance of details
that characterize similar grand acts of the sixteenth
century, enough had been heard from contemporary
witnesses, and too many admirable facts had been col-
lected, to allow any doubt as to the success of the cause.
But the acts of the process of 17 15 were sleeping in the
1 Cant. vii. 5.
316 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
episcopal archives of Autun, and were not sent to Rome
till 1820 — that is, after an interval of one hundred and
five years. Pilgrimages began to the chapel of Paray;
and the years 1745 and '46, periods of fearful epidemics,
saw the pilgrims multiply. The name of Margaret
could not, however, be mingled with public prayers,
and her body rested, without other glory than the faith-
ful rememberance of her Sisters, under the choir slab
where it had been laid in 1690. One hundred years had
flown, and nothing was yet changed in her regard.
The Revolution swept like an impious whirlwind over
France, uprooting thrones, overthrowing altars, sup-
pressing convents. That of Paray was closed like the
others, and the religious driven out. Must they, then,
abandon that cherished sanctuary of the Sacred Heart,
that sanctuary redolent with holy memories of our Lord,
that garden in which He had appeared, those hallowed
spots upon which they had so often kissed His foot-
steps? At least they would not leave without taking
their treasure with them, the humble wooden casket
that contained the bones of their saintly Sister. They
laid them in a safe place, then changed their dress and
separated, some to their own families, others to small
houses that they rented in the city, and there remained
faithful in secret to their God, whom they were no longer
permitted to adore in public. There they lay concealed
until the Revolution passed. They were like travellers
surprised by a storm and seeking refuge in some cave
until the clouds should roll away and sunshine return.
As soon as liberty was restored to them, they took
active measures to regain possession of their convent.
But, alas ! it had been sold as public property, shared
among several proprietors, — and the Sisters were poor!
More than twenty years were spent in fruitless efforts.
At the close of 181 7, seeing that their exertions amounted
to nothing; that death was diminishing their number
without their having resumed the religious life to which
First-Fruits of the Devotion. 317
they had been consecrated in their youth, — a house hav-
ing been offered them at Charite-sur-Loire, they decided
to go there. As we have seen the monks of the Middle
Ages shouldering the relics of their saints and fleeing
before the incursions of the Normans, so, on quitting
Paray, the Sisters determined to carry with them the
humble coffin that contained the precious remains of
Margaret Mary. But hardly had their determination
become known in the city, than it excited extraordinary
commotion, and the magistrates interfered to oppose
the departure. The mayor even went so far as to have
the city seals affixed to the wooden casket, and, as in
the Ages of Faith, they set a guard around it. Things
remained thus till June 16, 1823, when, under the pres-
sure of public opinion, and with charitable assistance,
the Sisters were enabled, at a cost of fifty thousand
francs, to regain possession of their old home. The Rev-
olution, that had demolished so many abbeys and illus-
trious convents, had respected this one. It was stand-
ing, old and battered indeed, but still complete. The
entire city conducted processionally the aged religious
carrying in their arms the remains of Margaret Mary.
No painter's brush could portray the emotion of those
venerable religious on again beholding that chapel,
those grates, the witnesses of our Lord's apparitions ;
the little cell in which Margaret Mary died ; the stair-
case of the seraphim ; the novitiate oratory ; the grove
of hazels, which had blossomed and was actually bloom-
ing as if there had not been a revolution; the chapel
of the Sacred Heart in the middle of the garden,
closed and locked by the religious at the time of their
departure, and into which, as if our Lord wished to
preserve from sacrilegious contact the sanctuary of His
Adorable Heart, no one during the whole period of the
Revolution had entered. All was as on the first day;
all was redolent of piety, all was venerable, full of in-
effaceable traces of Jesus Christ and His servant. The
3 18 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Sisters mingled their tears with their kisses, and forgot
in a pious rapture their thirty years of exile and suffer-
ing.
One of the places that had most suffered was the
chapel. The arched roof was full of cracks, and the
pictures of the Heart of Jesus on the walls were cut in a
thousand places. An architect proposed demolishing
the old building, which was threatened with ruin, and
presented the religious a plan for a grand chapel in its
stead. But the bare idea inspired them with horror,
and, thanks to the good old nuns, the sanctuary of the
communications of the Heart of Jesus, more fortunate
than the church of Verosvres, was preserved to the
veneration of the faithful.
Reinstalled in their convent, the Sisters had but one
thought : that of resuming as quickly as possible the
cause of the canonization of their holy Sister. God
blessed their endeavors, for in the course of the year.
March 30, 1824, Leo XII. signed the commission for the
introduction of the cause, and the servant of God was
declared Venerable. Six years after, during the year of
1830, the Commissaries Apostolic arrived in France,
delegated by the Holy See to inquire into the heroic
virtues of Margaret Mary. They held their sessions
during five entire months at Paray ; then went to Autun,
convoked witnesses ; followed religiously the least traces
of the saint; and, before returning to Rome, wished to
proceed to the opening of the tomb and the authentic
recognition of the relics. The diocesan bishop, Mgr.
d'Hericourt, presided at this ceremony, at which a large
number of priests and religious assisted. Four physi-
cians were present. The coffin-lid was raised, and all
that remained of the virginal envelope of the favored
Sister — only some bones exhaling the aroma of im-
mortality— was disclosed to the reverent gaze of the by-
standers. With deep emotion they contemplated that
head which our Lord had one day pressed to His breast ;
First-Fruits of the Devotion. 319
those large cavities whose eyes once saw Him resplen-
dent on the altar ; that, also, of the heart into which our
Lord once put His hand, and kindled by His sacred
touch the divine fire which consumed the saint. This
was all that remained of the mortal temple in which the
great soul had dwelt. An unlooked-for circumstance
suddenly raised the general emotion to the highest de-
gree. The bones were dried up and the flesh consumed.
The head alone was intact. Wonderful prodigy! It
had resisted the corruption of the grave. That portion
of the human body so fender, so delicate, which dis-
solves so quickly, which is always the first to see cor-
ruption,— there it was, after one hundred and forty years,
in all its freshness ! One could not believe his eyes.
The miracle was most brilliant. Four physicians at-
tested it, and great was the amazement at the proces-
verbal. Thus this humble though great religious,
whom the eighteenth century had overwhelmed with
raillery, whom the Jansenists treated as a fool, a poor
maniac, a deranged head, was, from a scientific and
medical standpoint, proved to have possessed a head
that was the best constructed part of her whole frame,
since it was the part that best resisted the action of death
and time.
Two extraordinary cures, one of which was submitted
to the examination of the Sacred Congregation and was
declared miraculous, filled all hearts with holy joy.
A poor, sick Sister, given up by the physicians, Marie-
Therese Pitit, had been confined for three months to a
bed of pain, and in such a state of weakness and ex-
haustion that, even by putting the ear to her mouth, her
words could with difficulty be caught. Learning that
Margaret Mary's tomb was to be opened, she rallied her
strength in the ardor of her faith, placed on her breast
some linen that had been around the holy relics, and
on the instant felt in the region of her heart some
wonderful change. Entirely cured, she rose at once and
320 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
went to kneel, happy and grateful, at the tomb of her
benefactress. This miracle is mentioned in the Decree
of the Miracles.
The same day a poor, infirm workwoman arrived at
the tomb, brought thither from Lyons by a charitable
person. As she could not walk, she had to be carried.
The decay consequent upon a certain accident had at-
tacked her bones, and made such progress that the phy-
sicians, having removed part of the tibia, declared am-
putation necessary. Her friends bore her to the holy
tomb, where she at once arose, knelt without pain, and
then stood erect. She had become so strong that they
who had brought her weak and helpless now took
pleasure in letting her walk.
It was under the lively impression of all these events
that the Apostolic Notaries finished their visit. After
the proces-verbal had been drawn up by the physicians,
and the surgeons sworn, they inclosed the holy relics in
a new casket, sealed it with the bishop's arms, and re-
spectfully deposited it under a slab at one of the cor-
ners of the cloister; for they thought the hour near in
which they should bring her forth again with glory, to
be exposed on the altar for public veneration.
That day was, indeed, to come. If prodigies that
every day attested her sanctity were brilliant, what were
they beside another miracle greater still, one which for
over thirty years was accomplished under the eyes of
the astonished nineteenth century! The great proof of
Margaret's sanctity lay not in the cure of the sick. It
is best seen in the Church of France itself, rewarmed,
revivified through her by rays from the Sacred Heart.
Thus are her prophecies realized; thus is the ice of
these latter times melted. It is the Heart of Jesus tri-
umphing over all obstacles, reigning in spite of Satan
and his agents. It is the marvellous renaissance of
faith, of piety, of the purest love of God, of the most
Shrine of St. Margaret Mary in the sanctuary of the chapel in
which the apparitions took place.
The Church Vivified in the Sacred Heart, 321
enthusiastic devotedness to the Church in France of
Louis XV., of Voltaire, of Robespierre, and of Marat.
Yes, Catholic France, born again in the nineteenth
century, has expanded under the beams of the Sacred
Heart. All that was good in her she has resuscitated
and developed, she has displayed in flowers more beau-
tiful than ever, in fruits more sweet and luscious. Be-
hold, for instance, her missionaries, her apostles ! At
what epoch have they been more numerous, more poor,
more pure, more fruitful than in the nineteenth century?
We travel very fast to-day. We have invented steam,
railroads, the telegraph; but there is one that travels
more quickly still, and that one is the apostle. When
our soldiers push on to the very extremities of the
world, even to the walls of Pekin, there is found one
awaiting them, one to receive them with the chant of
the Te Deum! When they touch upon those countries
at which the Englishman himself, the commercial Eng-
lishman, pauses for want of courage to carry further his
traffic, there is found one that does not stop, one that
presses on, one that ever advances : it is the French
missionary, reanimated, rewarmed in the nineteenth
century by the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ.
And whilst all around our frontiers this army of apos-
tles is drawn up, who here in France does not feel him-
self likewise rekindled?
The priest's heart! Ah! compare the priest of 1770
with the priest of 1870, with our incomparable French
clergy who, under the fire of incessant publicity and
evil-mindedness, have forced admiration from even their
enemies.
The virgin's heart! France knows that there are to-
day on French soil more than one hundred thousand
maidens who have left all; who in the flower of youth
and beauty, in the hour of sweetest hopes, have
left all to consecrate themselves to the love and adora-
tion of Jesus Christ ! One hundred thousand young
322 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
girls, pure, chaste, vowed to the sole love of God and
mankind, in an age like ours ! Who does not see here
the impression of the Heart of Jesus Christ on the
heart of the Church?
The heart of the mother ! Ah ! it, too, will be sensi-
bly warmed. Never at any epoch, if we except the first
ages of Christianity, have mothers been more jealous of
the beauty of their children's soul, more holily eager for
their salvation; never have they better transformed
their maternity into the priesthood, and their love into
an apostolate. Our century is undoubtedly very de-
praved; but the mother's heart beats too sublimely for
us not to hope all things from it. Let us not doubt
the age of the Augustines will be redeemed and trans-
figured by the age of the Monicas !
The hearts of our young men! Will they not also be
rekindled? Is it not by young men that the admirable
society of St. Vincent de Paul, which to-day extends
over the whole world, was founded? And the works of
St. Francis Regis, of St. Francis Xavier, of St. Joseph —
who supports them? who maintains them? Is it not
Christian youth inflamed by the greater love of Jesus
Christ ? Oh, the French youth ! They shine in the
nineteenth century with a double and glorious aureola,
for they have given their heart to the poor and their
blood to the Pope!
All, then, are warmed: the heart of the apostle and
the priest, the heart of the virgin and the mother, the
heart of the young man. All Christian hearts are now
beating in unison; and the sacred flame is the flame of
immolation of sacrifice, of love. In what are they all
occupied, these young people, these virgins, these Chris-
tion women, these men of the world? In visiting the
poor, protecting children, consoling the afflicted, spread-
ing faith and hope in every place in which detestable
doctrines once sowed irritation and despair. Tell me of
some disease, and I shall tell you what sacred battalion
The Church Vivified in the Sacred Heart. 323
is employed in tending and consoling the sufferer. And
as the old theologians taught that there is in heaven for
each star a choir of angels to direct. and inhabit it, even
so there is to-day for every misery a choir of virgins, of
young men, or Christian women, charged to beguile it
into hope and embalm it with charity.
But how greatly admiration increases when we behold
at the cost of what sacrifices, in what poverty, in spite of
what laws and malevolence, are established and re-estab-
lished all those apostolic works of charity! Enemies had.
sold all, proscribed all, destroyed all : these champions
of Christ have redeemed all, re-established all. If Louis
XIV. could be born again, he would find nothing of his
old monarchy. He would, we may well believe, return
sad enough to his royal tomb, unwilling to live in the
midst of a society no longer known to him. If, on the
contrary, saintly Margaret Mary should reappear, she
would behold nothing changed in the Church. "See,"
she would say, "that holy Society of Jesus, in which I
found Pere de la Colombiere, Pere Croiset, Pere de Gal-
lifei, all those venerable men who were the first servers
and adorers of the Heart of Jesus. Behold them, those
pious Benedictines, in the grand church overshadowing
the little convent of Paray ; behold them born again over
the whole face of France, renewed and transformed in
Burgundy by that venerable Pere Muard who, after re-
suscitating the Order of St. Benedict, to rewarm it
placed on his breast the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Behold
those Dominicans — they, too, regenerated by a man who
was a saint before being a renowned orator ; those
Capuchins, those Oratorians, all those religious men
and women ; all those works that then existed, though
slightly languishing. All have found new strength,
power, youth, vigor, such as they never possessed in the
old society. They have now something that renders
them more apostolic, more able to conquer, more fruitful,
more holily passionate for God and for the Church."
324 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
What rouses our greatest admiration in this renais-
sance of Catholic works in the nineteenth century is
that all have lived in misery, yet all have lived in liberty.
They have lived in misery ! They were robbed of
their wealth, and forbidden to acquire more; they held
out their hands to beg — they knew not to-day on what
they were to subsist to-morrow : and yet they lived.
They lived in liberty ! The eighteenth century pro-
claimed on every possible key that it was the religious
grates, the laws, and decisions of parliament that pro-
tected vows. They said : "Destroy the grates, repeal
the laws, and you will see the religious life perish mis-
erably." Ah, well! The laws were abolished, parlia-
ments destroyed the grates : the inmates may now clear
them when they please and as the}^ please ; every facility
is offered them. But never has the religious life been
more pure, more redolent of virtue. Whilst the enemies
of the Church tore down the grates and opened the con-
vent doors, though without succeeding in making the
religious leave their seclusion, the Church, more daring
still, took the virgin from her cloister, and sent her into
the cities and the villages, into hospitals, schools, and
workshops, yes, even into prisons. And these religious,
so free, so identified with the crowd, do you know what
kind of vows the Church allows them to make? Very
simple ones; and the greater number of them make
those vows for only one year at a time. There is one
day in every year, November 21st, upon which nearly
one hundred thousand religious are free, for their vows
expired the preceding midnight. Can you imagine such
a spectacle? One hundred thousand religious freed
yearly to return to the world, to marry if it seems good
to them. And yet the next morning, at the Mass of
seven o'clock, all voluntarily and generously resume
the chains that had fallen off, yes, that it was even theirs
to unbind. I ask the detractors of religious Orders, do
The Church Vivified in the Sacred Heart. 325
they know of many oaths that could bear to be sub-
mitted to a similar test?
In the midst of this vast display of active love, this
grand multiplication of apostolic works, contemplation
suffers not. Do you know that there are to-day more
Carmelite convents than there were in the time of Louis
XIV. ? Do you know that the Visitation is as fervent,
as humble, as contemplative as when directed by St.
Francis de Sales or St. Vincent de Paul? Do you know
that the sons of St. Bernard are more numerous, more
austere in their Trappist homes, than they were in De
Ranee's time? Do you know that the spirit of prayer
has been revived in families, among maidens, wives,
mothers, women of the world? Do you know that
self-discipline has become a part of Catholic morals,
and that there is no day, no night, in which a mul-
titude of Christians, of husbands, wives, and mothers,
even of young girls, do not voluntarily imprint upon
themselves the bloody stigmata of the Passion of
Jesus Christ? Every day throws some new light on
the mysteries of contemplation and penance buried
in the heart of our own century. Only yesterday I
read an admirable book in which the greatest Christian
orator we have had since Bossuet, namely, Pere Lacor-
daire, was shown me all wounded by penitential blows.
Causing himself, on leaving the pulpit of Notre Dame,
to be tied to a pillar and beaten with scourges until he
fainted, he equals and even surpasses the most austere
penitents, though still unable to satisfy the thirst for
immolation and sacrifice that devoured him.1 And yet
all is not told of him nor of others. When the secrets
of lives shall be revealed on the last day, we shall un-
derstand why this age, so agitated and so guilty, has not
been sunk in the depths of the abyss ; and we shall
bless the Church for having redeemed it by forcing it
to suffer and to immolate itself for Christ.
*Le P. Lacordaire, Sa Vie Intime, par le R. P. Chocarne. I vol.
octavo.
326 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque,
Now, what is the source of all these wonders? Mani-
festly, all spring from the Heart of Jesus, known, adored,
loved, casting its beneficent rays over the whole world.
The old fear has departed, the cold breath of Jansenism
has vanished; under the fire of love, the ice has every-
where melted. The holy table is more frequented ;
daily is the Lord more tenderly received, and by a
greater number. This is the hidden source, the well-
spring of all these marvels. It is thence comes to the
Church of the nineteenth century her beauty, her fruit-
fulness, her invincible strength. The Heart of Jesus
has darted its rays upon her. It has vivified her,
warmed her, transfigured her, and rendered her all
beautiful. And here we behold Margaret Mary's great
miracle. She knew it in advance, she predicted it, she
trembled with joy at the thought of it. In her humility,
she asked to die that she might not be an obstacle to it,
that she might not for one moment delay the glorifica-
tion of the Heart of Jesus, and the universal rekindling
of love in hearts. It was this movement daily becoming
more brilliant and more irresistible that pleaded her
cause at Rome, and advanced it in spite of a thousand
obstacles.
From the departure of the Apostolic Notaries for
Paray in 1830, forty years were necessary to examine
the virtues and writings of the saintly Sister. Every-
thing was analyzed, studied, and discussed with that
exactitude, that maturity, which characterizes the irre-
vocable acts of the Roman court. The Congregation
of Rites had just pronounced favorably on the hero-
icity of our saint's virtues, when Gregory XVI. died,
leaving to Pius IX. the glory and joy of proclaiming
them. It was one of the first acts of his illustrious pon-
tificate. Scarcely seated on the Chair of St. Peter, Pius
IX. raised his eyes to the Heart of Jesus ; and one morn-
ing in the month of July, 1846, saw him going on foot
to the Quirinal, to the Visitation, there to say Mass, and
Beatification of Saint Margaret Mary. 327
to announce to the Sisters, trembling with emotion, that
the hour was come to promote, at one and the same time,
devotion to the Sacred Heart and the glory of its servant.
The decree appeared, in the month following, August 23,
1846, during the octave of the feast of St. Chantal, the
foundress of the Visitation. A delicate thought had de-
cided the choice of this day, and it again brought the
Pope into the midst of the daughters of St. Francis de
Sales, to break to them the happy news of the future
glorification of their holy Sister.
All was now thought to be ended. Alas ! twenty-
four years were still to elapse before the last and solemn
Decree of Beatification, April 24, 1864. The delay had,
however, no other effect than to excite the impatience of
the Christian people, and to prepare for Margaret Mary
a triumph worthy of her.
It began at Paray by a new opening of the tomb, with a
view to recognize definitely the holy relics. They were
not to be returned to their resting-place, and from them
was to be taken the special relic which, on the altar of
St. Peter, was to receive the first homage of the Pope
and the Church. Although very private, this opening
of the tomb had in it something triumphal ; for no
public demonstrations of joy and devotion were as yet
permitted. But the humble cloister in which Margaret
rested, and in which her feast was to be celebrated, saw
its poor walls hidden under ornamentation the most
brilliant. Oriflambs, escutcheons, pictures, devices in
verse .and prose, everywhere met the gaze. All was
bright, elegant, devout, and pleasing. All was like unto
the spirit of St. Francis de Sales ; and, let us add, — for
this was what touched us most, — all was in a high degree
Catholic and French. In the solitude of the little con-
vent, shut in on all sides, whose inmates the votaries of
the world imagined knew only how to raise toward heaven
an egotistical eye, was felt the great soul of France pal-
pitating, of that France which had not abdicated her
328 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
baptism and which, in the midst of all her sadness and
misfortunes, still hoped on. The oriflambs streaming
from the windows all along the galleries were ablaze
with emblems and devices; loud cries of love for the
Church and the Holy Father, for France and Paray, for
the whole nation, cries of love for their home in heaven
and for that of earth, united on all the escutcheons as
they did in all hearts.
Mgr. de Marguerie, Bishop of Autun, who had taken
the most pious and intelligent interest in the cause of
the Beatification, presided at this private ceremony.
After forming a jury for the recognition of the relics,
and receiving the oath on the holy Gospels of all about
to help at the opening of the coffin, priests, physicians,
workmen, he went to the humble tomb containing the
remains of the venerable Sister. They were laid in one
of the corners of the cloister, under a simple stone, upon
which was inscribed merely her name. As if to make
amends for its poverty, there were seen all around on
the wall hearts of gold or silver suspended as tokens of
the veneration that embalmed her memory, and the
favors obtained by her intercession. The tombstone
being carefully raised, in an excavation sufficiently
deep was disclosed the wooden coffin that contained
the bones of the saintly Sister. Without opening it,
and after having permitted some few to kiss it, a rich
pall was thrown over it, and the honor of carrying it
was left to the tender and loving hands of her Sisters.
It was borne processionally through the cloister to the
room in which the relics were to be examined. The
Visitandines, with lighted tapers, and chanting the
Office of Virgins, walked before the casket ; and over
three hundred priests, accompanied by the chief magis-
trates and inhabitants of the city, followed the holy
relics in silence. The countenance of all, recollected or
beaming with joy, proclaimed better than words the
sentiments that filled their heart.
Beatification of Saint Margaret Mary. 329
Thus came forth from her tomb, never again to enter
it, this illustrious virgin of God ! Thus, after two cen-
turies, did she traverse again, in triumphant recollection,
and hidden as was her life, those cloisters that she had
once filled with the perfume of her humility! In spite
of a revolution that had crushed empires and scattered
royal races, the religious of the Visitation were still
there to form the cortege, to carry their Sister's blessed
remains, to make glad her path by their songs of joy,
their prayers, and their tears !
Arrived at the assembly-room, the procession paused,
and all bowed low in veneration of the precious wood
that inclosed the virginal body of one of the purest of
God's creatures. Then they opened the coffin and ex-
posed to view all that remained in this world of her to
whom our Lord had so frequently appeared. Admirable
fact ! Skeletons inspire horror, but not so those of the
saints. The mouldering bones, the shreds of flesh
gone to dust found in the depths of a tomb and for
which no language has a name, whether once animated
by a mighty genius, whether once transfigured by glory
and beauty, — all creates fear. But if the love of God,
the heroism of sanctity, cling around those remains,
behold, they live forever ! To touch them, to kiss
them, was the desire of the crowd. It was actually
necessary to drive them from the church, to prevent
their throwing themselves on the sacred body, pressing
to it their lips, and distributing its remains. Death
was conquered, and life was felt triumphantly circulat-
ing through the dry bones.
During the examination and veneration of the relics
occurred one most impressive moment. Deep anxiety
filled all hearts. The head, which up to 1830 had been
preserved from corruption, — in what state would it now
be found? Would God allow a sign of life still to reside
in the dry bones? The bishop raised the cranium.
Behold the august sign! Vainly had the past thirty-
2>2)0 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
four years rolled by ! Vainly had the casket been
opened and the head exposed to the air ! It has con-
tinued the same, intact, living1! We prostrate, we ad-
mire, we adore ! We relate analogous facts, and all
hearts beat with holy enthusiasm. When, for example,
Mary Magdalen died, and time had gradually dried up
all her bones, there was in her, also, a morsel of flesh
that resisted corruption. It was that which the Lord
had touched when she approached Him after His resur-
rection. With the words, " Noli me tangere," He laid
His finger on her forehead to keep her at a distance.
Twelve hundred years after, on that spot of the fore-
head, the flesh appeared quick and living, as if to show
us human flesh, even the most profaned, after the trans-
figuring finger of God has touched it to purify it. In
like manner, when St. John Nepomucene was martyred
for not revealing the secrets of the confessional, his
tongue was spared, although his whole body had become
the prey of death. Three hundred years after his
death, it was found fresh and living, an eternal witness
to the divinity of the confessional. Again, when St.
Chantal died, nothing could dry up her heart. It still
seemed to live. At certain moments it was seen to
swell with sorrow or love, as if to teach the world not
to doubt the ardor with which it beat when living. In
Margaret Mary's case it was the head that resisted
death, because it was of the head the world doubted.
God preserved it intact, in order to render venerable
the thoughts that emanated from it. Let us add faith
in the sublime inventions of which it was the organ.
Ah ! long years must pass before we shall forget our
emotion when the head of Margaret Mary, entire and
intact, was given us to hold in our hands. We were
almost alone, for the crowd had been forced to retire,
that the physicians might have more liberty to recog-
nize the relics, to contemplate at leisure what remained
of her body, and in that study to form some conjecture
Beatification of Saint Margaret Mary. 331
of what the holy soul had been. Those delicate bones,
those well-proportioned curves, the beauty of the fore-
head, the breadth of the temples, the incorruptibility
of the cranium, the fine lines of the face, — all these re-
mains of the mortal vase that once inclosed so beautiful
a soul afforded us, as it were, a glimpse of the saint
such it might seem she was two hundred years ago, in
the days of her earthly pilgrimage. She was of medium
height, though rather tall than short, of a fragile and
delicate constitution, as God makes souls whom He has
destined for great sufferings ; of exquisite sensibility, as
is fitting to those who are to love much. She added to
this great intelligence, perfect good sense, judgment
proof against every species of delusion, as was requisite
in order not to mingle the imagination and human
ideas with what God deigned to reveal to her. To com-
plete the picture, she was possessed of a gentle but un-
shaken will ; a soul patient but immovable, which
recoiled before no opposition ; of love so ardent and
such power of devotedness that no sacrifice could ever
satisfy. She possessed, moreover, elevation and deli-
cacy of sentiment, and a depth of heart which rendered
her capable of understanding the Heart of her Divine
Master, of divining its sublime inventions, of presenting
them to a cold and railing world, and of leading it to
their acceptance in preparation for its own regeneration.
Behold the illustrious Margaret Mary, such as her
soul appeared to us whilst, with respectful hand and
agitated heart, we replaced one by one in a rich casket
of silver-gilt the remains of her virginal body ! That
done, the religious again took it up joyously, and we
carried it in triumph to the interior choir, where it was
placed on the throne prepared for it. Above it were
two figures of angels holding a virgin's crown. There
the precious relics were to remain until the solemn day
Df Beatification, which took place in Rome, September
I, 1864. From early dawn on that memorable day, the
332 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
cannon of St. Angelo announced in joyous boomings
that the lover of the Heart of Jesus was about to be
proclaimed Blessed. On the evening of the same day,
Pius IX., attended by a numerous cortege, in which we
remarked over two hundred French priests, knelt be-
fore her picture. The bishop of the diocese to which
the saintly Sister belonged approached the Father of
the Faithful and, together with his allegiance and that
of the Church of France, offered him some simple gifts,
among them a bouquet of flowers, emblematic of the
virtues that his diocese had seen flourish in the humble
Visitandine parterre of Paray, and whose perfume was
now about to embalm the whole Church. The year
following, the feast of the Beatification was celebrated
in every convent of the Visitation. At Paray it lasted
three days with extraordinary brilliancy, over a hundred
thousand persons being in attendance. His Eminence
the Cardinal-Archbishop of Besancon presided, assisted
by the prelates of Autun, Bourges, Dijon, Nimes,
Evreux, Annecy, and Hebron ; the mitred abbots of
Sept-Fonds, d'Aiguebelles, of Mount Olives, of Sainte-
Marie-du-Mont, of Grace-de-Dieu ; over four hundred
priests and a multitude of religious belonging to vari-
ous Orders. The holy relics were removed from their
humble wooden casket and placed in a magnificent one
of silver-gilt set with precious stones, amethysts, and
topaz, and enamelled in the style of the Middle Ages.
For three days the relics were carried in triumph through
the parish streets of Paray, on the shoulders of twenty-
four priests robed in dalmatics. Nothing could exceed
the beauty of these processions, which recalled the
splendor of those of the Middle Ages. But what
would be still more difficult to describe is their trium-
phal character, the joy depicted on all faces, the enthu-
siasm that swelled all hearts. One felt himself at the
last act of a sublime drama, of which he recalled the
humble beginning and the sorrowful progress with its
Beatification of Saint Margaret Mary. 333
hard trials. We now touch as with the hand the mag-
nificent denouement. God's promises were then re-
alized. The Church of France was there before the
eyes of all, living, fervent, rejuvenated, warmed by the
beams of the Sacred Heart. Margaret Mary ascended
the altars. The Heart of Jesus reigned, in spite of all
its enemies, and illumined the wide world.
After three days of holy inebriation, the virginal body
was carried again into the chapel of the Visitation.
There our humble Margaret Mary now rests. They
have laid her in a splendid casket beneath the white
marble altar, under the very spot upon which our Lord
appeared to her. Fifty-three lamps cast their radiant
light upon this altar, now become a sepulchre. They
burn day and night in honor of the Divine Spouse and
His humble servant. The pilgrim on his arrival pauses,
involuntarily moved. The sweet mysteries accomplished
in this place : on the one side, virginity, tenderness,
thirst for immolation, heavenly detachment ; on the
other, condescension, mercy, infinite love ; and the
divine effects, touching and sublime, of the drama
enacted on this altar, — all that speaks to the soul. He
forgets himself for hours in mute contemplation.
There have been places more highly venerated on this
earth, but there are very few more august or more
sweet.
334 Lift of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
CHAPTER XVIII.
UNEXPECTED AND MARVELLOUS SPREAD OF DEVO-
TION TO THE HEART OF JESUS AMID THE MISFOR-
TUNES OF FRANCE— THE SECOND PART OF THE
MISSION CONFIDED TO SAINT MARGARET MARY
APPROACHES ITS ACCOMPLISHMENT.
1870-1874.
Abner. "The holy Ark is silent and gives no more oracles."
Joad. " Ah! what time was ever more fruitful in miracles-!
Shall we, then, always have eyes and see not ?"
Racine, ' ' A thalie. ' '
'HE first part of the mission confided to Saint
Margaret Mary was ended, but not so the second.
The words spoken for the Pope and the Church
had been realized; those spoken for the king and
France had been despised. Neither Louis XIV. nor
Louis XV. had deigned to notice them; and the lamenta-
tions of the captive Louis XVI. were drowned in the
blasphemies of the Revolution. Thus, whilst the Church
in France opened to the nineteenth century under the
sweet and genial rays of the Sacred Heart, and pro-
duced unrelaxingly and unwearingly the most savory
fruits of faith, charity, and purity, of the apostolate and
of martyrdom, society, civil and political, strayed further
and further toward destruction. In vain had God
given France of the nineteenth century gifts the most
beautiful: gifts of genius, eloquence, science, glory; gifts
greater than at any other epoch. Like a sick man re-
fusing the only remedy that contains a cure for him,
she saw her evils increase every day. Torn by a Utopian
and impious revolution from her old national and
Christian constitutions, fruit of the experience of fifteen
Spread of Devotion to the Heart of Jesus. 335
centuries, she has since been unable to find her centre.
She has tried in turn the republic, the empire, and con-
stitutional royalty. She returned to the republic, then
to the empire, and back again to the republic. Ever
agitated, disquieted, and ill at ease, she finally went so
far as to abandon all her constitutions, and, not know-
ing which to choose, she ended in a futile attempt to
rest on the provisional pillow, thus showing to the world
in her own person the greatest political incapacity yet
recorded in history.
At the same time France felt in her bosom the mut-
terings of most awful passions. Shamefully hidden in
the folds of guilty hearts were pride, envy, covetous-
ness. Kept in check hitherto by the power of Christian
conscience, they now publicly showed themselves,
united, and became an army. The cannon of civil war,
unheard in France since the time of Henry IV., which
had sounded neither in the seventeenth nor even in the
eighteenth century, began to boom in the nineteenth.
During three days of 1830, at two different intervals of
'48, and for six whole months in '70, its ominous tones burst
forth. Every fifteen years the fratricidal war assumed
vaster and more odious proportions, whilst opulent
France danced on the volcano and stirred its flames.
Her great writers, Lamartine, Thiers, Michelet, Victor
Hugo, glorified Robespierre, acquitted Marat, palliated
Louis XVI. 's execution, and even hailed it as a grand,
patriotic act. Her savants employed their learning,
their discoveries, and even the resources of the state to
assert that there is no God, no soul, no living and im-
mortal mind; that all will one day be reduced to vile
matter; and that the ideas of vice, virtue, liberty, respon-
sibility, are good old words, but, like those that taught
them to us, worthy only of contempt. Her industries,
her great proprietors, the directors of her public works,
neglected no means to snatch God and every idea of
religion from the heart of the mechanic, the laborer, and
32)6 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
the poor. Ah, that was not the most excellent means
to render them upright, honest, chaste, and religious ob-
servers of the rights and property of others! The poets,
the novelists, the dramatists of France labored day and
night to make the theatre a hell. Her high-born ladies
seemed to regret the happy days of Mme. de Montespan,
of Mme. de Pompadour, of Mme. du Barry; and, no
longer having under their eyes models so illustrious,
they set to work to imitate the allurements, the cos-
tumes, the walk, even the language of their sisters of
the demi-monde. Morals became corrupted, minds ob-
scured, character weakened, health destroyed; physical
and moral deformity invaded every circle. Meanwhile
our grave statesmen were occupied only in watching
that God and religion might not gain too much influ-
ence.
Then came the barbarians! Their hour sounded.
History will long record their deeds, though not
knowing how to describe the Queen of Nations, accus-
tomed to conquer, always victorious, rising twenty times
to a degree of heroism that her conquerors had never
known, and yet falling as often into the dust. Her
counsels were reversed, her chiefs paralyzed; the very
elements turned against her, the better to mark whence
came defeat. In seven months of struggle France
found again neither one flash of her genius nor one ray
of her happiness.
As everything connected with this nation must be ex-
traordinary, so, too, with her misfortunes. At the close
of this fearful war, when the sword should have been
sheathed, behold Paris suddenly fired with fratricidal
flames! Our monuments, our palaces, our libraries, our
museums destroyed by French hands! Bands of savage
beasts in human form, by the glare of the incendiary,
pillaged and profaned her churches, shot her bishops,
priests, magistrates, and soldiers; and on the heights
bordering upon Mont Valerien Vanves, Saint-Denis,
Spread of Devotion to the Heart of Jesus. $$J
behold the long-sighted Prussians clapping their hands
at seeing in flames the magnificent city that had resisted
all their assaults ! This is what history shall long con-
template, and, as in another Rome, recognize in it the
finger of God.
But soon from this scene of grandeur, already so
tragical, it will rise to a spectacle still higher and more
solemn. France, conquered, wounded, laid low on
twenty battle-fields, will be seen to divide into two king-
doms : one frivolous and always full of self, seeking in
political combinations, in recriminations and condemna-
tions, if not a remedy, at least a solace for her evils, and
trying to prove that she is not guilty; the other, striking
her breast, asks pardon, raises her eyes to heaven, and
to be more sure of averting God's anger, instead of kiss-
ing His feet and bedewing them with tears, rises higher,
even to His Heart.
Admirable thing! This recourse to the Heart of
Jesus, which in 1793 was spontaneously and as if in-
stinctively offered to the victims, is also presented in
1870 to the vanquished. This thought that slept for
sixty years in the heart of France, is awakened by the
bloody glare of her simultaneous defeats at so many
points, and with so little opposition that it is impossible
not to see in it the hand of God. He is a good and
tender Father who recalls to His sick child the thought
of the grand remedy.
The first fact that we are going to relate will alone
suffice to show the merciful hand of God. Toward the
close of 1870, at the time in which all our regular army
was paralyzed or destroyed under the walls of Metz and
Paris, bands of volunteers were seen to rise at the same
time in a thousand places. They were called by differ-
ent names, and they bore different standards; but what
of that ? The hour of exclusiveness was past. The
appeal to voluntary sacrifice was general; and the Pon-
tifical Zouaves were the first to offer their swords to
338 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
France. The Vendeans arose under Cathelineau; the
Bretons organized as skirmishers; and, without prelimi-
nary or preamble, the various troops' placed on their
breasts the badge of the Heart of Jesus: those, because
it was the emblem that Pius IX. had blest and given
them at Mentana; and these, too, in memory of their
fathers, Henri de la Rochejaquelein, Lescure, Bon-
champs, Charette; and all in remembrance of the con-
soling and prophetic revelations of Paray. The sequel
will show whether or not the Heart of Jesus on the sol-
dier's heart made him fight less valiantly.
Some days after, on a cold night, December 1, 1870,
two superior officers turned their steps toward Paray,
whither they were going to spend the next day in
amusement before setting out from France. One was
General de Sonis, commandant of the 17th corps of the
army; the other, Colonel de Charette, who was at the head
of the Zouaves. Both were deeply impressed with the
gravity of the times through which they were passing,
and the evident fact that, without the manifest assist-
ance of God, all was over with France. The cold was
intense. It was impossible to proceed on horseback;
therefore the General and the Colonel dismounted, and
continued their journey on foot. Whilst walking along,
the General expressed his regret to Colonel Charette at
not seeing on his own banner an emblem more religiously
characteristic. "General," replied the Colonel, "lean
give you what you desire." Then he told the General
that the same day on which he had received authoriza-
tion from the French Government to fight along with
the Zouaves, on condition that they should take the title
of " Western Volunteers," there had arrived from a dis-
tance a flag on which was painted the Sacred Heart.
It had come under this address: "To the Defenders of
the West." He learned later that the banner had been em-
broidered at Paray by the religious; that it was sent
first to Paris and then to Tours, with the request that it
Spread of Devotion to the Heart of Jesus. 339
should appear on the battle-field. General de Sonis re-
garded it as an inspiration of God, and the banner of
the Sacred Heart was immediately chosen as the laba-
rum, the oriflamb, of the Zouaves. To prevent opposi-
tion, it was decided not to unfurl it until it could receive
the baptism of fire; and that France should see it only
when it would be, so to say, tinged with French blood.
They felt sure that, after the battle, this banner, victori-
ous or conquered, would command such respect that no
French army would allow it to pass without inclining to
it their swords.
The next day, December 2, 1870, first Friday of the
month, a day consecrated to the Sacred Heart, Mass
was celebrated at three o'clock in the morning. Gen-
eral de Sonis, Colonel de Charette, the greater part of
the officers, and a number of soldiers approached the
holy table, to learn from the Heart of Jesus how to
suffer, how to sacrifice themselves. The battle began
at once, and, in spite of numerical disproportion, re-
mained undecided until half-past two in the afternoon.
The enemies' reinforcements continued to pour in, and it
was easy to foresee the moment in which, without some
heroic and successful effort, the Zouaves would be
obliged to retreat. General Sonis took his resolution.
Gathering together a column for attack, he tried to
hurl it upon the village de Loigny; but two of the regi-
ments threw themselves on the ground and refused to
advance. At this juncture, the General hesitated no
longer. Pressing forward with his Zouaves, he cried:
" Gentlemen, behold the hour to show that you know
how to conduct yourselves as Frenchmen and Chris-
tians ! Forward!" An enthusiastic cry was the only
response. Sergeant Henri de Verthamon at the head
of his battalion darted forward fifty steps, and displayed
the standard of the Sacred Heart. All rushed after him
with the cry: " Long live Pius IX.! Long live France !"
A considerable distance had to be cleared under a fear-
34° Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
ful discharge of musketry. The Zouaves, without one
shot, crossed bravely and in good order. Arrived in
front of the little wood, they opened fire, presented
bayonets, tore up the wood, gave chase to the Ger-
mans, reached the village, amid a cloud, not of i?ice?ise,
but of powder, and placed in position the banner of the
Sacred Heart.
The enemy, now perceiving the smallness of the num-
ber by which they had been routed, in surprise called
forth their reserve. The masses ranged. After astonish-
ing the Prussians by their assault, they were now going
to astonish them by their heroism Generals de Cha-
rette, de Sonis, Troussures fell at the side of the banner
of the Sacred Heart, become the target of all projectiles.
De Verthamon, who held it, died purpling it with his
blood. Count de Bouille instantly raised it again. He,
too, was soon struck with death. He passed it to his
son, Count James de Bouille, who, after bearing it aloft
for some time, fell in his turn. Parment, who succeeded
him, had his hand broken. He was, consequently,
obliged to relinquish the sacred standard, now stained
with blood and rent in several places, to Sergeant Lan-
deau. Most of the Zouaves were conquered where they
wished to die. They fell in the Heart of Jesus, and
their death shed on the battle-field a ray of pure glory
like unto that of the Crusades.
Next day Orleans was taken, and the remnant of the
Zouaves went to be hacked to pieces at Manns, in order
to cover the retreat of Chanzy. Five months later
Paris surrendered, the war was over, and the Zouaves
free. Before separating they wished to take leave of
their banner, to offer it supreme ovation, and accomplish
an action suggested by the events that had just tran-
spired.
They met in a church at Rennes. There during the
Holy Sacrifice, at the moment of holy Communion, the
banner of the Sacred Heart was solemnly borne in and
The Second Part of Margaret's Mission. 341
placed at the foot of the altar. General de Charette
and his officers grouped around it. The almoner-in-
chief, Mgr. Daniel, read on his knees an Act of Conse-
cration to the Sacred Heart, composed and sent by
General Sonis, who was detained at a distance by his
wound. After that General de Charette pronounced in
a sonorous voice the following words: " Under the
shadow of this flag stained with the blood of our dear-
est victims, I, General Baron de Charette, who had the
signal honor of commanding you, consecrate the legion
of the Western Volunteers, the Pontifical Zouaves, to
the Sacred Heart of Jesus; and with my soldierly faith,
I say with all my soul, and I ask you all to say with me:
'Heart of Jesus, save France!'" A unanimous cry,
spontaneous, awe-inspiring, responded: lt Heart of Jesus,
save France!"
Thus ended this heroic episode of our sad war. It
was only the second time since the oriflamb of the Cru-
sades that a religious flag had appeared on the battle-
field. The first had been carried by Joan of Arc ; the
second by the Pontifical Zouaves.
Whilst these things were passing on the battle-field,
and in a manner so wonderful, though so little foreseen,
the words of the Lord to Margaret Mary, " I desire
that the image of My Heart be engraven on the French
standard," were being accomplished, another word of
the Lord was realized still more unexpectedly. In the
midst of Paris, then occupied by the Prussians and
isolated from the rest of France, some pious and emi-
nent laics were recounting their country's misfortunes
and seeking for means to come to its assistance. Sud-
denly they were inspired to make a solemn vow to erect
in the heart of Paris a church consecrated to the Heart
of Jesus. The vow was drawn up in due form. In it
are read these words:
" In view of the misfortunes that are now afflicting
342 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
France, and of the still greater evils that perhaps yet
threaten her;
" In view of the sacrilegious outrages committed in
Rome against the rights of the Church, of the Holy See,
and the sacred person of the Vicar of Jesus Christ;
" To make honorable atonement for our sins, to receive
pardon through the merciful intervention of the Sacred
Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to obtain by this
same intervention the extraordinary assistance that
alone can deliver the Sovereign Pontiff from his cap-
tivity, put an end to the misfortunes of France, and
lead to its social and religious restoration, —
" We promise, when these graces shall have been
granted, to contribute according to our means to the
erection in Paris of a church consecrated to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus, permission for the erection of which
will be asked of proper ecclesiastical authority."
Did the signers of this act think of the revelations
made to Saint Margaret Mary ? No more, perhaps,
than the Vendeans on the battle-field, or the " Western
Volunteers " at Paray. But there was One that thought
for them.
The war ended, their vow was not forgotten. The
first step of those that had taken it was to address
themselves to the Archbishop of Paris, submit to him
their project, and ask his blessing for its accomplish-
ment. The see of St. Denis was then occupied by Mgr.
Guibert, successor of the illustrious victim of the Com-
mune, Mgr. Darboy. The prelate, in his piety and
intelligence, understood the Christian grandeur of such
conceptions; and not satisfied with granting the author-
ization asked of him, he determined to devote to its
realization his authority, his exalted position, his influ-
ence, and his whole heart. He addressed, in conse-
quence, all the bishops of his diocese, and begged them
to come to his aid. The work had already assumed,
and as if of itself, large proportions. What was origin-
The Second Part of Margaret 's Mission. 343
ally to have been a chapel, or a small church (the result
of an initiative movement on the part of a few) was now
to become a national church, built with the funds, the
concurrence, and the heart of all France.
It remained to choose a suitable locality. When we
glance at the map of Paris, we perceive on the north a
mountain celebrated not only for the geological treas-
ures that it incloses in its depths; not only because, by
its mysterious composition in the midst of the vast
basin of the Seine, it is an inexplicable wonder
yet to science; but celebrated, above all, because
from remote ages it has always been a holy place, a
sanctuary venerated and visited from afar. It is there
that St. Denis, come to evangelize the Gauls, met their
most famous idols and hurled them down; there, suc-
cumbing to the fury of the pagans, he consecrated and
transfigured this mountain by the shedding of his blood;
and there it was that, on the very spot of his sufferings,
arose that illustrious church, built and rebuilt from age
to age, consecrated in the thirteenth century by Inno-
cent III., and whither flock in pilgrimage all that Paris
has ever possessed of eminent holiness and sanctity.
It was there that St. Ignatius and his companions laid
the foundation of the Society of Jesus. It is there that
are met in the same faith and the same memories Car-
dinal de Berulle, M. Olier, Pere de Condren, Bossuet,
St. Vincent de Paul. Montmartre is the holy place of
Paris. The people, who best preserve the grand tradi-
tions of holy things, have never ceased to love and visit
Montmartre.
No position could, then, be better suited. Encour^
iged as the work progressed, they resolved to build on
this mountain, whence it could look down upon all
Paris, a temple which, by the immensity of its propor-
tions, the beauty of its sublime outlines, the splendor
and richness of its ornaments, would be truly a nation-
al temple consecrated by all France to the Heart of
344 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Jesus. And in order to note well of what inspiration it
was born, they agreed to engrave upon the portal the
words:
CHRISTO EJUSQUE SACRATISSIMO CORDI
GALLIA P02NITENS ET DEVOTA.
To realize so gigantic an enterprise, it was necessary
to expropriate a certain number of houses built on the
summit of the mountain. This brought the matter be-
fore the National Assembly — that is to say, since France
is a republic, before the sovereign. It was an occasion
that the goodness of God offered France to accomplish
what Louis XIV. had not done, but what Louis XVI.,
enlightened by misfortune, had promised God in prison.
If the National Assembly allowed this providential oc-
casion to escape, it performed at least one important
act, one that will be to its eternal honor. On the plea
of public utility, it voted the expropriation; that is to
say, it declared it to be a public utility that repentant
France should erect a temple to the Sacred Heart. This
church not having been asked for under the title of a
parish church, nor exacted by the needs of worship, the
vote of the Assembly could be interpreted only in this
sense, as even the enemies of the project remarked.
France herself understood it in this way; and the idea
of a national church on the summit of Montmartre, an
idea popular from the very outset, received new impulse.
Subscriptions were opened in all the dioceses; commit-
tees were formed to excite and sustain zeal; and soon
some intelligent and delicate initiative measures were
begun. The army asked to build and ornament a chap-
el at its own expense. The working-men, also, offered
shortly after to build one that should be consecrated to
'Jesus as a Workman." The movement went on.
Christian mothers desired to erect a church to St. Mon-
ica; the children would also consecrate one to the Child
Jesus; the priests, one to " Jesus as Priest;" and bishops,
The Second Part of Margaret 's Mission. 345
to " Jesus as Pontiff." The virgins could not be forgotten
by their Divine Spouse. And thus the temple built with
the gold and silver of France shall ever be a monu-
ment of the sweetest inspirations of her piety and
heart. But who will lay the first stone ? Above all,
who will make the solemn consecration ? No one
knows. Let us trust that God will descend among the
workmen, and make Himself known by strokes most
unexpected.
He had said to Saint Margaret Mary: " I desire
that a temple be dedicated to My divine Heart." He
will, then, assist in the building; and, as it is said of
several of our old cathedrals that on the day of their
consecration angelic voices were heard filling the air
with sweetest songs, so we may believe that on this day
there will descend upon kneeling France celestial words,
words of love and pardon.
It is in this temple will be made by the mouth of her
sovereign, whoever he may be at the time, the conse-
cration of France to the divine Heart of Jesus. That
day will be a great one in our history. The old alliance
will be renewed, and God will again become the God of
France. Can we credit the facts just narrated — the
banner of the Sacred Heart on our battle-fields, and
the erection in Paris of a national church to the Heart
of Jesus ? Can these two events, so extraordinary, be
surpassed? Yes, and they will be. The month of June,
1873, witnessed a fact which, whether we consider
the time in which it occurred or the manner in which
it was accomplished, the gigantic proportions with
which it was clothed bear all the appearance of a mir-
acle.
Shortly after the close of the war, the day after the
horrors of the Commune, toward the autumn of '71 and
during the year of '72, we felt an unusual breath pass
over France. The celebrated sanctuaries were more fre-
quented; pilgrimages began, though timidly at first,
34° Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
like the distant prognostics that precede or foretell a
storm. In 1873, Catholic France was agitated by an
impulse it had not felt for over six centuries. National
pilgrimages began to Lourdes, Salette, Chartres, Four-
vieres, Pontmain, Puy, and France threw herself into
them suppliantly. On one day Lourdes saw one hun-
dred thousand kneeling men gathered round her shrine.
Then came the local pilgrimages. Each diocese had its
own, and in it were sometimes seen thirty thousand pil-
grims. Had we the exact statistics of these pilgrim-
ages, we should indeed be astonished.
Among them all, that of Paray holds a rank apart. It
was estimated that one day would suffice for all the
others; but that of Paray required a month. One felt
that all France was coming. Marseilles, the city of the
Sacred Heart, opened the march and arrived the first.
It was followed every day by two, three, four, five dio-
ceses, each with its own banner. June 25th, Friday
after the octave of Corpus Christi, they numbered
twenty-five thousand men ! A month was not enough
for the procession, which daily received new increase.
The pilgrimage had to be prolonged until the end of
July. Then, when the concourse of the French began
to subside, English, Dutch, and Belgian pilgrims ar-
rived. They who could not yet come (not the Ameri-
cans, for they were coming), the Scots, the Poles, the
Russians, sent their banners to represent them. The
invisible Lover, until then hidden in the secret of the
cloister, had been brought to light. He attracted all
hearts. " Hundreds of banners, hearts, ex votos, letters
were sent to us from all corners of France," wrote the
religious of Paray. " All the parish churches, all the
Communities, all the institutions of the capital, though
ever so little religious, sent their souvenirs. ... It was
an unheard-of assemblage. . . . We at first thought
that we should be able to keep an account of the ex
votos; but at the end of three days we found that to
The Second Part of Margarets Mission. 347
number them would be impossible. Our choir-grate
was not large enough to hold them, for we found them
everywhere. All these manifestations may be summed
up in these words inscribed some thousand times on the
ex votos: ' France to the Sacred Heart of Jesus ! ' " '
But it was not only its duration and the number that
composed the pilgrimage that gave to it its miraculous
character; it was the manner in which it was performed
that rendered it truly surprising. The same was re-
marked everywhere. Such a movement was opposed to
French habits, — so opposed, in fact, that one asks him-
self how it could have taken place so spontaneously and
unanimously. This is the plan they followed. The pil-
grims set out in procession from some church and went
to the railway station. There they set up their banner,
placed on their breast the picture of the Heart of Jesus,
and, at the first sound of the whistle, began their chants.
Almost every age, to express its sentiments or give
soul to the emotions it has aroused, produces a popular
chant or song. Who is the author? Whence did it
come ? Who put it one day, fiery or terrible, on the
lips of the people? Neither the Greeks in the time of
Tyrtaeus; nor our own ancestors, the old Gauls, in their
forests; nor France at the epoch of her grandest crises,
could say. No one has written it, but every one sings
it. It springs from the soul of the people. In the same
manner came forth the hymn that then resounded for
the first time, ardent and sad, supplicating and tender,
bathing in tears the sorrows of the Church of France,
and uttering at each refrain a cry of hope and a cry for
pardon. Very different from the savage clamors of the
revolutionists, it appealed to the tenderness of Heaven
and not to the anger of earth; instead of exciting souls
to hatred, it appeased them by repentance.
Giving our soul up to a sort of pious joy and recol-
1 Circular letter of Paray upon the pilgrimage of the month of
June, 1873.
348 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
lection as if in a private chapel, we sang the whole
length of the journey. When the train slackened its
speed, the singing was heard to proceed from each car;
and the sound, so unusual and so sweet, brought tears
to the eyes.
Sometimes it happened that two trains met at the same
station. The pilgrims, taking their stand in the door-
way of their several cars, sang in choir. We shall never
forget our emotion on a certain occasion of this kind.
Our train had to stop at a station to let two special
trains from Paris pass. One of them, speeding along
like lightning, hurled at us this verse of the canticle:
" Mercy, my God, for on a new Calvary
The Head of Thy Church is groaning in tears!"
In an instant we were on our feet with the spontane-
ous, unanimous cry: "Long live Pius IX. ! Long live
France!"
The morning of the great feast, June 20, 1873, the
sun rose in splendor, and all the rest of the month the
processions were not delayed a single day by rain. As
was formerly said " the sun of Austerlitz," was now
said "the sun of the Sacred Heart."
As we neared Paray, the stations assumed an unusual
appearance. Crowds of pilgrims were huddled around
them long before the time: priests, religious, swarms of
young girls dressed in white, gay as birds, and wearing
on their breast the Heart of Jesus; vehicles of all kinds
grand equipages, and common carts, laden and over-
laden with passengers, coming at triple speed, in their
fear of losing a place which they foresaw would be dif-
ficult to find. In the midst of all this concourse of
people reigned a calm and joyous serenity. Of these
thousands of men, women, and young girls, all prepared
to approach the holy table. They preserved, even in
their eagerness, and notwithstanding the astonishment
excited by so unusual a scene, the recollection which,
The Second Part of Margaret's Mission. 349
in Christian homes, always precedes such an action.
Spectacles such as these France does not see often
enough. Her profoundly religious nature, her heart so
sympathetic with all that is elevated and sincere, would
find it hard to resist such influence.
Nothing for many a day will equal in this respect
June 20th at Paray. It was the Friday after the octave
of the feast of Corpus Christi, the day of which the
Lord had said to His humble lover: " I wish the Friday
after the octave of Corpus Christi to be dedicated as a solemn
feast in honor of My divine Heart." From midnight,
Masses were being said on the altars everywhere im-
provised. They were not sufficient, despite their great
numbers. This was the only regret of the day. There
should have been a hundred altars more. In the Visita-
tion chapel, between the altar upon which our Lord ap-
peared and the grate behind which she knelt, reposed
Saint Margaret Mary. Her splendid casket had been
raised on a throne surrounded with myriads of lights,
and covered with hearts, crowns, petitions, ex votos of
all sorts. At the head of the throne, like the banner of
Joan of Arc, which, after "having waved at the stake, was
one day, to the honor of the country, to shade with its
folds the altar of coronation, was seen the banner of the
Zouaves, pierced by Prussian bullets and stained with
blood. It was waving above the casket. The faithful
kissed it in passing; mothers approached it with their
little ones; and we saw soldiers touching it reverently
with their naked swords.
At nine o'clock the procession began to move. It
was no longer a brilliant triumphal march; it had be-
come official and liturgical like that we had admired in
1865, at the time of the Beatification. There were, how-
ever, neither cardinals nor bishops ' nor mitred abbots,
for they were mingled with the people. The liturgical
1 Except the titular bishop, and Mgr. de Marguerie, former bishop
of Autun.
35° Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
chant had given place to one single canticle in French,
which incessantly rose to all lips:
" Save, save France,
In the name of the Sacred Heart !"
Shall we dare to say that this was not a procession of
the Church ? It was a procession of France humbled,
repentant, striking her breast, and crying: " Mercy, my
God!"
Each diocese ranged under its own banner, as did the
various institutions, colleges, and Communities. There
were over three hundred banners, each richer than its
neighbor, each symbolical and eloquent, each displaying
mottoes and legends and words that pierced the soul
like a dart. The people applauded as they were borne
along. Their enthusiastic cries of joy or of sorrow,
mingling with the chants of those that formed the cor-
tege to the banners, produced an indefinable impression
on the soul.
An unexpected event happened at the very outset,
which was well calculated to rouse and excite the mul-
titude. Some banners had alread)?" passed, wending
their way toward a little hill that overlooked the town.
There an altar had been erected for Mass in the open
air. All at once, through a cross street, a group arrived
a little late, and took its place in the cortege. It was
the Alsatian banner, pure white, but enveloped in folds
of crape. The cords were held on one side by a simple
soldier, maimed and decorated, crape on his arm; on
the other, by a noble lady in black and covered in a veil
of the deepest mourning. On the banner we read:
" Heart of Jesus, restore to us our country!"
Who could gaze upon such a sight unmoved ? The
procession paused, the songs ceased, and the Alsatians
cried out: "Long live France!" And we replied:
" Long live Alsace!" We embraced, we mingled our
tears. Eight days after, the emotion of those that had
The Second Part of Margaret 's Mission. 351
witnessed this incident was still so lively that to speak
of it brought tears to the eyes.
Loud shouts were heard some moments after, and the
excitement became great. It was caused by the ap-
proach of the banner of Metz, which was entirely black,
as if to attest the deepest despair. Metz, the Virgin
City, the thoroughly French city! Ah, the tears that
flowed as its banner was borne along! How can we
think that prayers so elevated, so heart-felt, can remain
unheard by Him who has made nations curable?
After that of Metz, the Parisian standard was most
touching. Around it was grouped all that survived of
the most ancient and illustrious of the French nobility.
All those noble ladies wore the same costume, a black
dress and veil. We mentally called them by name, and
found among them the most famous of our history,
those that were the glory and sometimes, alas! the
peril of the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries.
We said: " Tis the beginning of the reparation. After
the expiation on the scaffold, this is much better: re-
pentance and recourse to the Sacred Heart."
We were roused from these reflections by songs full
of manly ardor. They proceeded from the Pontifical
Zouaves. In a spirit of prudence, they had left the
banner of Paray near the holy casket, and carried hither
only a fac-simile of it. General Sonis held one of the
cords, General Charette the other. All the officers fol-
lowed. One felt, whilst listening to their chants, some-
thing of the enthusiasm that had animated them when
fighting at Loigny. A heart of stone would have
thrilled at such a spectacle. Along the whole route
we heard a thousand cries of " Long live Charette !
Long live Sonis ! Long live the Zouaves ! Long live
France ! Long live Pius IX." Or rather, we heard only
one cry, for all signified the same at heart. An unex-
pected incident crowned the emotion. In the evening
the procession defiled to cross the convent garden. At
35 2 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
the very moment that they were passing the little clump
of hazel-trees under which the Lord had appeared to
Margaret Mary and first explained to her the bloody
mystery of the Cross, the Alsatian banner with its
drapery of crape clung to a branch. Whilst an effort
was being made to disengage it, a sudden blast of wind
carried away the crape. The lookers-on trembled, and
in all eyes glistened tears of joy and hope.
We cannot forget you in this feast, noble banner of
Orleans, which we had the happiness to bear to this pil-
grimage, as a messenger bears to sorrowing friends a
word of consolation ! On a rich white ground ap-
peared a beautiful picture of Joan of Arc, her drawn
sword above her heart, in the noble position, so humble
and yet so resolute, given her by a royal princess. When
the people perceived it, they pointed with their finger :
" Joan of Arc ! Joan of Arc !" and the enthusiasm be-
came great. It was the resurrection of France that
they hailed in this standard.
Thus, at every step we made, the true character of the
pilgrimage was proclaimed. We had under our eyes
France mutilated and bleeding. We could not pray
for self ; we prayed for her. We forgot our own mis-
eries. We cried : " Save, save France, through Thy
Sacred Heart !" To give its true character to this day,
a last ceremony was to be performed. When the sun
was setting, and the first shades of evening falling on
the city, blessed tapers were lighted, and Paray saw
pass through it a procession of from three to four thou-
sand men carrying flambeaux and singing the Miserere.
The ceremony ended at the chapel, at the foot of the
altar of the Sacred Heart, and before the shrine, by an
Act of Reparation. Profound emotion filled every soul.
The adorers pressed hands in silence, for hearts were
overflowing.
The great regret of the day, one felt by all, was that
there was no deputation, no representatives of the Na-
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Beautiful hand-wrought reliquary in the form of a Heart,
Paray-le-Monial, containing relics of St. Margaret Mary.
at
The Second Part of Margaret 's Mission. 353
tional Assembly, at that moment the sovereign of
France. They came nine days after, June 29th, the
feast of St. Peter. But they were too few in number.
One hundred and fifty, so said their banner, had given
their names ; but all were not grouped around it.
" SACRATISSIMO CORDE JESU
E LEGATES AD NATIONALEM GALLIC CCETUM
CL VOVERUNT."
It was, however, a manifestation not less grand anu
touching. Arrived at the terminus, they put the Heart
of Jesus on their breast, unfurled their standard, and,
in the midst of the shouting crowd, reached the Visita-
tion chapel, where they received from the bishop's hand
the God who loves the French.
At this moment a voice arose in the name of all: l
" Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we come to consecrate
to Thee ourselves and our colleagues united with us in
sentiment.
" We ask Thee to pardon the evil we have committed,
and also all those that live separated from Thee.
"Inasmuch as it is in our power, and as far as it be-
longs to us, we consecrate to Thee, with all the ardor of
our soul, France, our well-beloved country, with all her
provinces, her works of faith and charity. We ask Thee
to reign over her by Thy all-powerful grace and holy
love. And we ourselves, pilgrims of Thy Sacred Heart,
adorers and partakers of Thy great Sacrament, most
faithful disciples of the infallible See of St. Peter, whose
feast we are happy to celebrate to-day, consecrate our-
selves to Thy service, O Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
humbly asking of Thee the grace to belong entirely to
Thee in this world and in eternity ! Amen !"
Deep emotion filled every heart during the reading
of this act. But it was not vet that consecration of
France which the saintly Sister had demanded, which
1 M. de Belcastel, Deputy of the Haute-Garonne.
354 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
France alone can make, and which Almighty God ex-
acts.
Such was the pilgrimage to Paray. To complete the
picture, we ought to speak of its fruits^ relate the out'
bursts of faith and piety, of grand simplicity, that
recalled the best ages of the Church ; the crowd con-
tending for the least relic of the saint, even the leaves
of the hazel-trees, even the earth and stones of the
garden ; those nights passed in prayer before the
shrine ; those Communions so numerous that the altars
did not suffice for them, that the arms of the priests
fell from fatigue, and the religious of Paray " no longer
knew how to procure enough hosts for the multitude
fa?nishing for Jesus f" '
Yes, the finger of God is here ! Who can deny it ?
The Heart of Jesus is regenerating us. Since our fearful
disasters, marked by a character of chastisement so
pronounced ; since the horrors of the Commune, whose
torch lighted with an ominous glare the abyss into
which they were about to ingulf what remained of
France ; since the blood of the hostages accepted by
God in expiation, a new France has arisen. She it was
that unfurled at Paray the standard of the Sacred
Heart ; she it is who is about to construct at Paris the
Church of the Sacred Heart ; a she who during two
months pressed around the foot of the altar upon which
Jesus had said : "Behold the Heart that has so loved men /'*
The miracle is there, or it is nowhere. It is as sub-
lime as it was unexpected ; and the rapture of such a
spectacle is all the more sweet as we have reason to
think that it is only the beginning of future graces.
1 Circular of Paray, November 6, 1873.
8 This grand basilica is now an accomplished fact ; and in it hangs a
bell, the joint offering of the Visitation houses from all parts of the
world. It is, as its inscription tells, a " Monument of piety to the di-
vine Heart, to chant from the summit of the Holy Mountain, to the
tity, to the nation, to the whole world, the legend of the Visitation
"^rder : Vivat + Jesus !" — Translator's note.
The Second Part of Margaret 's Mission. 355
O Margaret Mary, Virgin of Paray, finish thy work !
Thou hast sown these beautiful seeds ; help them to
ripen under the rays of the Sacred Heart. Extend thy
aid to all souls that have not had our happy privilege.
One day, in one of thy most private communications
with Heaven, thou didst hear thy Lord saying to thee :
" I shall make thee forever the heiress of all the treasures of
My divine Heart." Enjoy them forever, O Virgin, but
be not avaricious of them ! Share them with us !
And Thou, O Jesus, place Thy Heart on the heart of
France ! Thou knowest of what elements it is made.
To be good, she must be loved. When enthusiasm
sways her, she is sublime. O Divine Enchanter, capti-
vate her by Thy beauty ! Pierce her with darts so
sharp that she may be forced to surrender. They were
so grand, this people, when love held them suspended
at Thy pierced hands and feet : what will they be when
they rise to Thy Heart ! Then all our evils will be
ended. We shall again behold that ancient France so
loved by the Church, contemplated with a noble jealousy
by all Europe ; whose sword, genius, and heart were at
the service of every good cause; and which, finally, re-
leased from the fearful poison that consumes her, will,
for the happiness of all, resume her rank at the head of
the nations.
356 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
CHAPTER XIX.
MONTMARTRE— THE WISH OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES
—THE VISITATION ORDER AND JANSENISM— THE
VISITANDINES AS REFORMERS AND FOUNDERS—
THE VISITANDINES IN THE REVOLUTION— THE
SCAPULAR OF THE SACRED HEART IN THE
REIGN OF TERROR— THE GUARD OF HONOR OF
THE SACRED HEART— THE CONSECRATION OF
THE WORLD TO THE SACRED HEART.
^ T is told of Julian the Apostate that when he repre-
jjr sented the Roman Caesars at Lutetia, he would
night after night go to the roof of his palace to gaze
up at the stars, wherein he thought to read the downfall
of Christianity. If he had really read the future he was
so anxious to foresee, well might he have exclaimed, as
the heights of Mons Martys caught his eye — "Thou hast
conquered, Galilean !"
No fitter site could have been chosen for the great
Basilica of the Sacred Heart, raised by France as a temple
of expiation and praise, than the hill of Montmartre, of
which it is the glory. The associations of the mount
with France stretch back to the earliest history of the
country. In the river Seine, after its junction with the
famous Marne, lie seven islands, the largest of which was
in ancient times the haunt and refuge of an insignificant
tribe of Gauls known as the Parises. They were no
people of villages or towns, and left not a mark save their
name behind when the Romans came down upon them,
swept them into oblivion and founded on their island the
town of Lutetia, the embryo of the Paris of to-day,
named in remembrance of the original possessors of the
soil. On the slope of the hill that rose above their new
Montmartre. 357
settlement, the conquering Romans raised a temple to the
God of War, where now the Prince of Peace reigns
triumphant, and gave to it the name of Mons Martys in
his honor. Later on, an attempt was made to change the
name to Mons Mercurii, who, as leader of those who
help themselves to other people's property, was quite as
appropriate a patron for the Roman nation as the fiery
Mars. The statue of Mercury was placed alongside of
the first diety's, but the original name remained until
the dawn of Christianity. Dionysius, the first Bishop of
Lutetia, came hither in the third century with his ardent
companions, preaching the Gospel of Christ. On Mons
Martys, just below the temple of the pagan god, he built
a chapel to the Mother of the true God, and on this hill
he and his companions, Rusticus and Eleutherius, re-
ceived the palm of martyrdom. Tradition says that after
his execution, Dionysius arose from the ground on which
his lifeless body had fallen, and raising the severed head
in both his hands, carried it from Montmartre, to where
the famous Abbey of St. Denis, named in his honor and
the necropolis of the French kings, now stands. When
Christianity finally triumphed over Gaul and Roman, a
chapel was raised in his honor on the s"pot where he had
laid down his life for Christ, and as the centuries rolled
away, a stately basilica arose, to which came pilgrims
from every clime. Among those who knelt at his shrine
were Genevieve, the wonderful maiden Saint, whose
prayers drove back the haughty Attila, Scourge of God,
from the gates of Paris; Clotilde, the wife of Clovis, the
"true apostle" of France, as she has been styled ; Bernard
of Clairvaux, Peter of Cluny, St. Francis de Sales, Ig-
natius of Loyola, with that first band of followers who
here made their vows, and many others, famous in our
day as in their own. Numerous religious communities, in
the course of time, took root and flourished on the hill,
no longer Mons Martys, but Mons Martyrum, in com-
358 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
memoration of Dionysius and his companions. Their
relics were discovered in the church dedicated to their
honor as late as 161 1. "A wonderful mount, indeed,"
writes the Jesuit, Father Charles Croonberghs ; "a chosen
battleground, as it were, whereon decisive struggles have
been waged between the powers of hell and the all-con-
quering love of Christ."
Montmartre has played, time and time again, a con-
spicuous part in French history, through civil strife and
war. It has more than once been the defense of the city
of Paris, its commanding height serving well for such
purpose. Henry of Navarre and the first Napoleon are
prominent among the rulers who have seized on its na-
tural advantages. But further back still, an old chronicle
gravely tells us, "Otho II., emperor of Germany, at war
with Lothaire of France in the year 978, did cause an
Alleluia to be sung from the hill of Mons Martyrum by
the monks thereon, with such power of lung as terrified
all Paris." This record speaks well for both the purity
of the atmosphere of Montmartre and the vim of the
singers.
The first public praise ever offered the Heart of Jesus
was sung in a chapel erected on Montmartre and dedi-
cated to it in the year 1670. This was afterwards de-
stroyed, at the time of the Revolution. In blasphemous
contrast, that makes one wonder at the forbearance of
Heaven, the name of the hill was now changed to Mont
Marat and a creature received the homage of incense in
its chapel. Near the close of this terrible epoch of his-
tory, when the skies were just showing signs of clearing,
the Vicomte de Bonald prepared plans for a temple of ex-
piation for the crimes so lately committed against God.
Napoleon, then at war in Spain, approved, and sent orders
that public subscription should be started for the erection
of a temple of peace on Montmartre. His orders, how-
ever, were never carried out. Years after, at the time
Monimartre. 359
of the sudden revolution that put Louis Philippe upon
the throne of France, the scheme of a mad artist drew
the attention of the nation for a time." He proposed to
cut the rock of Montmartre into an immense head of
Liberty "or of some emperor" — the personality, evidently,
of small moment. His project was not warmly received
and the rock is still unsculptured.
Three memorials to the Sacred Heart arose on Mont-
martre in the reign of Napoleon III. — a chapel, a church
and a temple. It was not until the year 1872, however,
that the initiative of a formal dedication of the mount,
as a symbol of France, had birth. A French gentleman
detained in Poitiers during the siege of Paris, conceived,
in this time of deadly anxiety and suspense, the idea of
an expiatory monument to be erected on Montmartre for
the deliverance and salvation of France. He at first
thought of putting this under the patronage of Our Lady
of Deliverance ; but the claims of the Sacred Heart and
the promise of Its protection, made to Saint Margaret
Mary, two centuries before, carried the day.
Full of his purpose, he went to Father Henry Ra-
miere, the founder of the Messenger of the Sacred Heart.
The latter, well pleased, at once took up the project, and
enlisted prominent people of the day in its success. Then
came the horrors of the Commune, when Montmartre was
drenched in the blood of victims. When peace was
again restored, Cardinal Guibert, Archbishop of Paris,
espoused the cause with ardor; all the French bishops
united with him in the plan, and it spread with incredible
rapidity, assisted spiritually and materially by Pope Pius
IX. In 1873, the permission of the Government was
solicited for the building of the proposed memorial ; this
was not only accorded by the National Assembly under
President MacMahon, in a vote of 382 to 138, but it did
not hesitate to declare that the proposed basilica was a
work of public utility, established by the Archbishop of
360 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Paris in honor of the Sacred Heart, for the purpose of
drawing down upon France, and especially Paris, the
merciful protection of God. "A miracle in itself," re-
marked a contemporary.
Architects from all parts of the world sent in their
plans. The erection of the basilica proved a work of
immense difficulty and was a triumph of engineering, for
the soft crumbling stone of the hill was undermined with
abandoned and forgotten quarries, necessitating the dig-
ging of the foundations at a depth of 75 feet below the
cornerstone. This was finally laid, with great ceremony,
in 1875. The date originally assigned for the purpose
was delayed more than once by circumstances, and it is
a coincidence worthy of note that the event was at last
accomplished on June 16, 1875, the 200th anniversary of
the revelation of the First Friday devotion, June 16, 1675.
"In July, 1914, at the close of the Eucharistic Congress
at Lourdes, the Papal Delegate, in the presence of ten
cardinals, two hundred bishops, two thousand priests and
an immense throng of people, announced that the con-
secration of the Basilica of Montmartre to the Sacred
Heart would take place on the coming October 17th, the
feast of Saint Margaret Mary. One week later, the
great World War broke out, and the ceremony had to
be postponed. But by the express wish of Pius X the
Bishop of Autun on that day read in the chapel of the
Visitation at Paray-le-Monial, the convent where Saint
Margaret Mary spent her cloistered life, and in the basi-
lica of that town, a solemn act of consecration, repeated
by the people, imploring the Sacred Heart to establish
its reign over France." (Life of Margaret Mary, by
Sister Mary Philip, of Bar Convent, York).
The solemn consecration of France to the Sacred
Heart, so long delayed, took place in 1919, one year after
the closing of the war, and a few months before the
canonization of Saint Margaret Mary.
The Wish of St. Francis de Sales. 361
"I will reign in spite of all who oppose Me," said Our
Lord Himself to His handmaid. It is a far cry indeed
from the first humble altar in the noviciate of Paray-le-
Monial, hardly more than a chair, with its small picture
of the Sacred Heart and its few flowers and lights, to the
magnificent Basilica of Montmartre, on which the wealth
of human genius has been expended, and its Perpetual
Adoration, with its daily and nightly crowd of earnest
worshippers.
In the convent of Annecy, the cradle of the Visitation
Order, is still preserved the book in which, for thirty-one
years, St. Jane Frances de Chantal wrote the annual re-
newal of her vows ; and every nun of this community,
from her time up to the present day, has followed her
precedent and yearly inscribed afresh her name and vow.
Besides these names are many others, some well-known
to the world, for kings and queens, statesmen, soldiers,
ecclesiastics, artists, writers, as well as people from all
ranks of life, have placed their names upon its pages in
the hope of obtaining the fulfilment of the wish of St.
Francis, written upon the first leaf in his own hand.
"Yea, Lord Jesus, graciously hear the exclamation
of my heart in behalf of Thy spouses. Be this book
inscribed by Thine own self, and suffer not any one
of them to set her name in it except through Thy
inspiration and motion, so that this little volume may
cover my shoulders as a mantle of honor, and my
head as a crown of glory; and that in all my as-
pirations towards Thee, I may mentally pronounce,
in a canticle of joy and praise^ every name that shall
be recorded in it, offering the list as a posy of
sweetness to Thy Divine Providence. O Jesus,
sweet and holy Love of our souls, grant the year
in which every Sister shall write her vows and
oblations in this book be to her a year of sanctifi-
cation, the day a day of salvation, the hour an hour
of never ceasing benediction. Grant that the hearts
Thou hast aggregated to Thy name and that of
Thy dear Mother be never dispersed ; that what Thou
hast assembled be never divided, and that what Thou
hast joined be never separated. Rather say, that
the names inscribed in these perishable pages shall
forever be written in the Book of Life with the just
who reign with Thee in immortal bliss. Amen, Amen.
362 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
"History shows us the heresy of Jansenism, the prin-
ciple of so many evils, seeking to insinuate itself by every
means into the cloister," says Father J. B. Lemius, in his
"Mission of the Order of the Visitation" ( 191 1 ) . "Alas !
it was sometimes but too successful ! But as to the
Order of the Visitation, the Cardinal of York said: 'It
is enough to be a daughter of St. Francis de Sales to be
likewise a true daughter of the Apostolic and Roman
faith.' The superiors everywhere displayed the greatest
vigilance. Every confessor who showed the slightest
leaning to this error was immediately replaced. The
parlors were closed to every person suspected of the
heresy. But a peculiar danger threatened the nuns from
their very virtue — the perfect obedience the Visitation
has always shown to the bishops, their superiors. What
reader of French history is ignorant of this — the supreme
trial of the Church in France? In the episcopate of the
1 8th century, there were bishops who endeavored, no
matter at what cost, to introduce the poison into the
monasteries. Among these was the Bishop of Auxerre, —
or at least he was accused in the matter. Now Auxerre
possessed a convent of the Order, and this convent be-
came an impregnable fortress of the faith. With respect
united to invincible firmness, it resisted and triumphed.
Humbly but energetically, the Superioress refused a Jan-
senist confessor. This enraged many, gained over to the
sect, who had formerly been friends ; relatives of the
Sisters, Jansenists also, became inflamed with passion.
But nothing could daunt the courage of the Visitandines.
They chose rather to submit to an order forbidding the
reception of any new members and to gradually die out,
martyrs to the faith. But eleven religious remained in
the cloister when the Jansenist bishop was himself called
to appear before God.
"At Macon, a splendid resistance was made. The city
was infested with heresy, and the monastery was prompt-
The Visitation Order and Jansenism. 363
ly attacked. Mother dti Bousquet called her community
together, and put them under the protection of the
Blessed Virgin by a fervent act of consecration. In
season and out, she impressed upon them the necessity of
perfect regularity in their observances, of a real union
of hearts and of submission to the Pope. When the
bishop of the city put himself at the head of the sec-
tarians, she called a chapter, proclaimed the obedience
due the Holy See, and on her knees made the profession
of faith in her own name and that of all the community.
Trials and want came upon the convent, but it boldly
fronted the storm. 'The kingdom of God first!' cried
the valiant Mother.
"The story of the monastery of Caen is pitiful. What
made things worse was that Mother du Beaumanoir was
allied to the family of Mgr. de Bayeux, Prince of Lor-
raine. The six years of her incumbency were one con-
tinuous struggle. The Bishop used his power to the ut-
most— the nuns were deprived of the sacraments, elections
were hindered or thwarted, their officers were deposed,
an attempt was made to modify the rules, the reception of
new members was forbidden. Faithful to God, Mother
du Beaumanoir never failed to show the respect due to
episcopal dignity ; but she recoiled before no humiliation
or suffering, nor lost any opportunity to defend the con-
stitutional rights of the Order, the liberty of election —
above all, the purity of the faith. From this stand, noth-
ing could move her. There were, it is true, a few
breaches — such as that of Castellane.1 But in this case,
one might even say 'Felix culpa !' for it but served to
show how vigorously the Order could repair an evil and
cast out the venom that sought the life of its spirit."
"Although the Visitation Order was on the whole loyal
[1The instance of the convent at Castellane, of which Father
Lemius speaks, is here drawn from a Visitandine source. The
Life of Ven. Anne Madeleine Remusat, by the Visitation Sisters
of Harrow, 1920.]
364 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
during the Jansenist heresy, it, too, suffered by the as-
saults made upon every institution in the Church . . .
Jansenism appears to have been, of ail heresies, one of
the most insidious. No Jansenist would admit that he
was not a Catholic, for to remain in external communica-
tion with the Church was essential to his aim . . .Ma-
dame de Sevigne, granddaughter, as is well-known of
St. Jane Frances de Chantal, speaks in one of her letters
of giving the 'Treatise on Frequent Communion,' by
Arnauld (a book discountenancing frequent Communion)
to the nuns of a certain convent which she was in the
habit of visiting. They were charmed with it, she says,
but the .perusal of this book by them must be kept a great
secret. Notwithstanding, this very community later on
became conspicuous for its opposition to Jansenism and
its loyalty to the Holy See. The two convents of Nevers
and Castellane unhappily became infected to a large ex-
tent with the disease, and all the other houses of the
Order offered unceasing prayer to God for them. It is
remarkable that neither of these houses encouraged de-
votion to the Sacred Heart, and that coincidently with
its adoption at Nevers, the sisters turned at once from
their error and became true children of the Church again.
Castellane, however, was completely under the influence
of the Bishop, Jean Soanen, who used all the eloquence
for which he was noted to imbue his daughters with
Jansenistic doctrine. At the age of eighty, he was sus-
pended and sent to a monastery, where he died, con-
tumacious, at the age of ninety-three. The condemnation
of their bishop seems to have simply urged the Visitan-
dmes of Castellane on to further rebellion. Not the
Pope nor the whole Church, they declared, should make
them change their opinions. Threatened with excommu-
nication, they declared they gloried in suffering for
justice' sake !
"The unhappy nuns continued in open rebellion till they
The Visitandines asReformers and Founders. 365
drew upon themselves the condemnation of the Church,
and the king (Louis XV.) ordered, by lettres de cachet,
eleven of them to leave Castellane and go to various re-
ligious houses instead.
"This step and the charity and kindness with which they
were received by their sisters in religion, at last opened
their eyes. Hearing of the happy result, M. de la Motte,
the priest who had replaced their former Jansenistic
chaplain, obtained permission for them to return to their
own convent again.
"A singular obstacle presented itself. Twenty of the
less rebellious nuns had been allowed to remain at Cas-
tellane. When the exiles sought admittance again, they
were refused and called apostates by their unrepentant
sisters. Admission had to be gained by force, and the
trouble became a scandal. Each party went its own way,
sharing nothing in common. The prayers of the entire
Order were offered for the recalcitrants, and finally the
tact and gentleness of Father de la Motte and the sweet-
ness and firmness of a Superior sent them from the
Convent of Embrun won them all back, with the excep-
tion of four sisters, who died before peace was made,
and who were styled martyrs on the roll of the Jansen-
ists."
"At first glance, the work of the Visitandines as Re-
formers and Founders would seem entirely opposed to
the spirit of an Order which its saintly Founder said was
to be as an humble violet in the garden of the Church. Yet
one of the greatest glories of the Order, that which its
modesty has striven hard to conceal, is the part it has
played in the reformation of relaxed monasteries
and it is an indisputable fact that every house which
accepted the good offices of the Visitation returned to
its original spirit. Such houses did not change old rules —
they simply regained old fervor. Not only this, but the
Visitation has more than once cast seed into the field of
366 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
religion which has borne a hundredfold in new orders,
distinct from itself. The Order of the Sacred Heart is
one of these magnificent fruits. At Paris, Marseilles,
Lyons, Grenoble, Montpellier and a number of other
places, Visitation superioresses were called on by the
bishop to take charge of Magdalen Refuges. Mother
Patin, at Caen, was, in fact, co-foundress with Blessed
John Eudes of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity,
the mother-house of all the Refuges which claim Blessed
Eudes as their founder, and the admirable Congregation
of the Good Shepherd of Angers, which to-day has so
many branches throughout the world.
"Mother Patin, putting her hand to the plough, did not
look back ; she triumphed over every obstacle, she effected
miracles, so to speak, in the maintenance of her charges,
she drew novices to the new Order, wrote its Constitu-
tions and its directions, and even selected its dress. Then
she devoted herself, successfully, to obtaining approval
of it at Rome.
"The Bernardines of Clermont, the Clares of Tarascon
and of Avignon, the Augustines of Toulouse, the Ursul-
ines of Brive and many others, received with gratitude
the aid of the Visitandines. Mother du Houx, of the
monastery of Cace, was called by the bishop of Rennes,
at the express desire of the Abbess herself, to the Abbaye
de la Joie, brought almost to ruin by internal dissensions.
In two months, she had reconciled the belligerents, and
went back to her cloister leaving the Abbaye in profound
peace and calm. Her work had just begun. The bishop
of Treguier next invoked her aid in his troubles with
four different Ursuline convents. Successful again in
this undertaking, she was a third time withdrawn from
her convent to the same work of reformation in Brittany.
Twenty-five years afterwards, she completed her extraor-
dinary ministry by a masterpiece of spiritual accomplish-
ment. Father Huby had inaugurated a series of retreats
The Visitandines as Reformers and Founders. 367
at Varennes, believing this to be the best method of pre-
serving the faith in Brittany. But to insure the perma-
nency of this work, it was found necessary to have the
services of an Institute entirely devoted to it. Mother
du Houx was called upon to head the enterprise. For
two years, she trained the Foundresses in the spirit of
St. Francis de Sales, and thus created one of the most
solid and meritorious congregations in Brittany.
"Mother Duret was called on to reform a convent where
a heretic priest had sown bad seed. 'All the universities
in the world,' said the good mother, 'could never have
converted these poor souls — but the grace of our Blessed
Mother and the mildness of St. Francis de Sales tri-
umphed over their obstinacy, and the monastery returned
to its old faith and fervor.'
"The greatest achievement of the Visitation Order, in
the eyes of the world, was doubtless that of the royal
foundation of St. Cyr, in 1692. When there was ques-
tion of the training of the Dames de St. Louis in the
religious life, Madame de Maintenon was emphatic in
her declaration that a Visitandine alone could give the
proper direction. Louis XIV. upheld her views, having
a great admiration for the work of Mother de Lorges
in the Refuges of Paris. Mother de Priolo, of the mon-
astery of Chaillot, was obliged by the order of the Arch-
bishop of Paris to leave her cell and devote herself to
this mission. This remarkable superioress labored to in-
still the spirit of St. Francis into the minds and hearts
of her charges, and so successfully that she went back to
her cloister overwhelmed with the felicitations of the
king and Madame de Maintenon, who said : 'To the Vis-
itation is owing all the good that has been and ever will
be done at Saint Cyr.' In our own day, Mother Sera-
phine Fournier, at the desire of the Archbishop of Paris,
aided in the foundation of the Blind Sisters of St. Paul,
a triumph of religious charity and zeal. 'What has not
368 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
St. Francis de Sales done,' she said, 'to help these dear
blind sisters to consecrate themselves to God, notwith-
standing their affliction, he who wished that in his Visi-
tation he could gather all the afflicted of the earth!'
"How is it that the Visitation Order, vowed to a life
hidden, par excellence, has thus come forward in the
world, in spite of itself, and taken so prominent a part in
works that have carried its name to all the winds? It is
because the spirit of St. Francis never dies in the hearts
of his daughters." (J. B. Lemius, Mission of Visitation
Order.)
"I love my veil as you do your sword," said Sister de
Montmarin to her soldier brother. This was the spirit
of all the daughters of St. Francis de Sales when the
storm of the Revolution broke over France. "A heroic
courage in hearts united to God, the practice of observ-
ances in the midst of a perverse world and upon ground
deluged with blood, a smile in the very face of the scaf-
fold, testified that outside the cloisters from which they
had been torn, as within them, the nuns of the Visitation
lived in the Sacred Heart of Jesus." The National As-
sembly abolished all vows in 1789. The unanimous re-
sponse of the Visitandines to this was — Rather die than
leave our monasteries ! A second decree proclaimed the
restoration of "liberty" to all persons living in religious
communities, and a delegate was sent to all the convents
with this piece of news. "So be it," was the response,
"respect that liberty then, and leave us in peace !"
Some made even more spirited rejoinder — "If we had
not already made our vows, we would go this instant to
the house tops and proclaim them to the world !"
But soon came threatening crowds outside their walls ;
men rushed through their cloisters brandishing swords
red with the blood of faithful priests. Then came the dis-
solution of all monasteries, a return into the world con-
vulsed in revolutionary throes. At Annecy, where Fran-
The Visitandines in the Revolution, 369
cis de Sales and Jane Frances de Chantal were awaiting
the call of resurrection, there was profound anxiety.
What would become of these precious relics in the hands
of monsters who cared for neither God nor man? The
courage and presence of mind of a friendly official saved
them from profanation, and restored them to their chil-
dren in happier times. At Lyons, where the heart of
St. Francis was preserved, a veritable miracle snatched
it out of unhallowed hands and brought it in safety to
Venice. Reading the history of the Order in that dread-
ful time, one finds natural emotion, it is true, at the ruin
of "the fair land of France ;" but the predominant thought
in every breast was how to keep the Rules, the daily
observances of religious life? The poor exiles clung to-
gether, wherever possible, united in the chanting of the
Divine praises, strove to keep up their relations with their
Superiors and even held chapters, from time to time.
Some drew for themselves, in the privacy of the homes to
which they had returned, or the lodging places they were
forced to seek, limits that they regarded as cloister and
which they never passed except to assist at some stealthily
said Mass. Bitter poverty was the lot of many — yet they
cried "Vive la Pauvrete!" "I suffer," wrote one of the
nuns, "but it is from excess of happiness. Privations,
torments, prisons, the scaffold — ah, what consolations I"
In the daily hearing of that terrible roll of the drum
which announced crime upon crime, assassination upon
assassination — "Nothing," declared another, "gives me
a quicker beat of the heart."
The oath was unanimously refused. "I am a child of
the Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church, and I am
ready to die for my faith !" Such was the brave response
upon every lip. "Live Jesus! This is my oath." Many
of the nuns were brought before the Tribunal and sen-
tenced to transportation or the guillotine. But by a
special protection of God, though all were ready to lay
370 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoquc.
down their lives, the majority escaped death, — and this
is the explanation. "You are rather too ready," said the
executioner to one : "you can wait till to-morrow, then !"
To another — "Since you are so joyful about it, wait
awhile longer !"
These delays practically meant deliverance. They
were the work of the Sacred Heart, protecting those It
had chosen for Its apostolate. "Hidden in the world,
they become to those around them so many centres of
prayer, of reparation and of confidence in God, at the
very time that the Sacred Heart of Jesus was being
mocked and insulted in Paris. After the storm the
Order rose anew, fresh and full of vigor. "Thy youth
shall be renewed like the eagle's."
A story not told in the histories, but strange enough,
is that of the part played by the Scapular of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus during the Reign of Terror. In 1771 the
Parliament of Paris, a party of Jansenists and "philoso-
phers," prohibited the devotion to the Sacred Heart in
France. This decree was by no means as effectual as
they vainly hoped to make it, and the faithful of the
nation were but little affected by it. When the rumblings
of the storm that later on overwhelmed the unhappy land
began to be heard, and popular suspense and anxiety com-
menced to become almost unendurable, it was to the
Heart of Jesus that France instinctively turned for help.
"You cannot imagine how fervent souls are redoubling
their zeal — surely Heaven cannot be deaf to so many
prayers, offered with such trustfulness," wrote Madame
Elizabeth, the "Genevieve" of the royal family, to the
Abbe de Lubersac, then in Rome, during the dark days
of 1 791. "It is from the Heart of Jesus that they seem
to await the favors of which they are in need ; the fervor
of this devotion appears to redouble ; the more our woes
are increased, the more these prayers are offered up."
The scapular of the Sacred Heart was eagerly sought,
The Scapular in the Reign of Terror, 371
its wearing deemed a protection, and the Visitandines
had all they could do to supply the demand. The ways
of God are not ours. With these scapulars on their
breasts the Carmelite martyrs were immolated, many
other victims mounted the scaffold, and the King of
France himself laid his head beneath the axe." Louis
XVI and all his family were devout wearers of this
scapular, even in the times when the dark future of the
kingdom was undreamed of. Those they used were of
cloth of gold, on which was embroidered the Heart,
pierced with two arrows, with the words "miserere
nobis I" beneath. The meaning of these scapulars was
without doubt perfectly familiar lo the Revolutionists ;
but when on searching numerous prisoners they found
the same emblem, it was assumed that these little pieces
of cloth, marked with the Heart of a Savior Whom they
no longer acknowledged, were in reality evidences of a
wide-spread plot against "public safety." Then began
a systematic search on the persons of all suspects and
prisoners, and thousands of victims were executed for
no other offense. In spite of this, the brave Vendeans
went into battle with the powers of evil that were crush-
ing France with the scapular of the Sacred Heart openly
displayed upon their breasts ; to that Heart they attrib-
uted the successes they made, and falling on the field,
vanquished but unconquered, they died in a faith and con-
fidence that made them martyrs.
One of the royal treasures confiscated in the Temple
was the scapular of the Sacred Heart worn by Marie
Therese, the young daughter of Louis and Marie An-
toinette. "They took from my mother the address of a
shop," she wrote, "from my aunt Elizabeth a stick of
sealing-wax, and from me a Sacred Heart of Jesus and
a Prayer for France." St. Beuve, commenting on this,
says : "That Sacred Heart of Jesus and that Prayer for
France were closer bound together than would seem at
372 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
first; and perhaps she needed all her faith in the one
to be able at that moment to pray for the other."
The beautiful prayer that her aunt, the courageous and
noble Madame Elizabeth, gave to her friend the Marquise
de Raigecourt, is still preserved in the Bibliotheque Na-
tionale, in her own handwriting:
"Adorable Heart of Jesus, sanctuary of the love that
led God to make Himself man, to sacrifice His life for
our salvation, and to make of His body the food of our
souls : in gratitude for that infinite charity, I give You
my heart, and with it all that I possess in this world, all
that I am, all that I shall do, all that I shall suffer. But,
my God, may this heart, I implore You, be no longer
unworthy of You ; make it like unto Yourself ; surround
it with Your thorns and close its entrance to all ill-
regulated affections ; set there Your cross, make it feel
its worth, make it willing to love it. Kindle it with Your
divine flame. May it burn for Your glory; may it be
all Yours, when You have done what You will with it.
You are its consolation in its troubles, the remedy of its
ills, its strength and refuge in temptation, its hope during
life, its haven in death. I ask You, O Heart so loving,
the same favor for my companions. Amen."
"The monastery of the Visitation in Bourg was one
of the first to be re-established after the French Revolu-
tion, in the year i8c6. In 1824 new quarters were se-
lected— the Hotel of the Meillonas family, in the Rue
Teyniere. It is said that a certain pious woman of Bourg
never passed this mansion, before its occupancy by the
Visitandines, without the sign of the cross. Asked why
she did this, she answered : 'Our Lord has made known
to me that He will one day be greatly glorified in this
place.'
"In fact, it was here that in 1825 the first confraternity
of the Sacred Heart was established, and a chapel erec-
ted in 1834, in which the entire month of June was con-
secrated to Its honor with public services. An associa-
The Guard of Honor of the Sacred Heart. 373
tion of more than 300 women was formed for this pur-
pose, and visible marks of heavenly favor followed.
These associates selected one hour each month for adora-
tion and worship; or rather, without neglecting their
ordinary occupations, they kept one hour of recollection
and prayer in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This
was the nucleus of the Guard of Honor. In .1862, the
community of this house proclaimed the Sacred Heart
as King of their monastery. They later learned that at
the same time the monasteries of Annecy and Paray-le-
Monial, unknown to each other or to Bourg, had done the
same thing. 'Find some new means of glorifying the
Heart of Jesus !' cried the nuns of Bourg, turning to
Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart, one of their number.
The commission could not have been placed in better
hands. On January 1, 1863, Sister Marie of the Sacred
Heart put before the community a formal protestation
of devotion to the greater glory of the Sacred Heart, of
fervent desire to console It and to obtain through It the
salvation of poor sinners. This was signed by every
Sister and deposited on the altar during Mass.
"On the 6th of January, the proclamation of the Roy-
alty of the Sacred Heart was again made and the ques-
tion of forming Its court, as it were, considered. During
recreation, various plans were suggested. The thought
of changing the monthly hour to a daily one, and that
of a dial on which each hour should be placed under the
patronage of the angels and saints, and the names of each
member inscribed, came to the mind of Sister Marie of
the Sacred Heart. And it was she, likewise, who gave
to the band the name of the 'Guard of Honor,' and adop-
ted for its watchword — 'Glory, Love, Reparation and
Zeal.' In her soul was, deep down, the conviction that
the Guard of Honor would be a source of abundant
graces for the Church and for sinners' conversion and
salvation. Moreover, she believed that it would eventu-
374 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
ally spread over the whole world — a belief entirely justi-
fied.
"The priest of the parish" and the chaplain of the con-
vent were the first to inscribe their names, and it was
not long before the whole city of Bourg accepted the
devotion with enthusiasm. But there was one source of
disquiet. How would Annecy and Paray, the two Holy
Mounts — the one, centre of the Apostolate of the Sacred
Heart, the other the fountain-head of the Order, regard
the new movement? From both came unequivocal ap-
proval and a warmth of encouragement beyond expecta-
tion. The Superioress of Annecy happened at the time
to be ill and suffering greatly. Hardly had the Dial of
the Guard of Honor been brought into her room, that
she might see its arrangement, than she rose from her
bed cured. Asking for a pen she wrote : 'This practice
is simply a more perfect observance of the Rule during
the hour of guard.' In 1864 she wrote to Sister Marie —
'I love to think with what complacency our holy founders
must look at you from heaven, watching you work thus
for the glory of the Heart of Jesus.'
"At the monastery of Paray, it was even better. The
person charged with showing the Dial to the Superioress
felt great embarrassment in so doing, for at this very
moment Paray was occupied with a promotion of the
Communion of Reparation, and would naturally find
rather strange the request to assist in the promulgation
of another novelty in the religious world, issuing too, as
if in rivalry, from a sister-house so near ! However,
taking her courage in her hands, the messenger made a
casual allusion to the Dial of the Guard of Honor. 'A
dial?' said the Superioress. 'Show it to me at once!'
After examining it with attention, she said, with some
emotion, 'Come with me, my child.' And she took her
into the community room, where there had just been hung
another Dial, exactly similar, down to the very protectors
The Guard of Honor of the Sacred Heart. 3 75
of each hour — a coincidence absolutely above suspicion
of any collusion. The whole body of sisters put down
their names on the Dial of the Guard of Honor, as those
of Annecy had previously done.
The movement proved irresistible. The Pontifical
Zouaves, through their chaplain, a native of Bourg, en-
rolled themselves to a man. The Dials journeyed in every
direction, not only through France, but to England, Aus-
tria, Italy, Switzerland — and at the present day are to
be found in every country of the world.
Pope Pius IX was deeply interested in the Association.
He revised the prayer himself, gave his sanction, en-
riched the Archconfraternity with numerous indulgences
and inscribed his name as the First Guard of Honor.
His successors have all followed his example.
A new inquietude now took possession of the Visit-
andines of Bourg. It was not for them, they thought,
of whom their Foundress, St. Jane de Chantal said:
"The glory of the Sisters of the Visitation is to have no
glory, and their greatness is their weakness," to stand
forth to the world as the "callers to the flag," even if the
flag be that of Christ. Where would be their obscurity,
their annihilation in the sight of men, if they should thus
become so prominent ? Time was to show, however, that
the mission of the Visitation is the Apostolate of the
Sacred Heart, and that it was of the Visitation Order,
that the Sacred Heart demanded this apostolate.
At the foundation of the devotion, the Visitandines of
Bourg applied to the Jesuits to take charge of the work,
but Father Beckx, the General of the Order, refused their
request, saying with a touch of humor : 'The name, Guard
of Honor, is a trifle military. Now the idea of the Gen-
eral of the Jesuits leading on a Guard of Honor would
certainly give rise to an interpretation but little desired !'
Then the Sisters begged the Fathers of the Sacred Heart
at Issodoun to assume direction. This request also was
376 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
refused. Later on, the bishop of the diocese, seeing the
immense expansion of the Guard of Honor, and the
onerous labor it involved, began to fear that the spirit
of the monastery might become weakened by so much
outside distraction, He therefore built a chapel in Bourg,
with the intention of making it the headquarters of the
devotion. The work immediately declined; it was not
until it was placed again in the hands of the Visitandines
that it took on new life and vigor. It is plainly to this
Order that the Sacred Heart itself has willed the aposto-
late of Its honor.
"I think that in heaven the Sacred Heart will call in
review before It all the works of this, His Institute, each
monastery presenting to Its view the part it has taken in
the distribution of Its treasures, and that each will re-
ceive its own particular glory in recompense. But it
seems to me that when Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart
appears, with her banner of the Guard of Honor, Jesus
Himself will incline His Head to her, that Mary, His
Mother, will smile upon her; that Francis de Sales, ad-
dressing Mother de Chantal and all his Visitation chil-
dren, will say: 'Behold a true daughter of the Visita-
tion! She has raised immense armies of guard around
the royal Heart of Jesus — blessed be she forever !' "
(Father J. B. Lemius, Mission of the Visitation Order.)
Mother Mary of the Divine Heart, a holy Good Shep-
herd nun of Oporto, in the world Mary Droste zu Visch-
ering, of a noble German Catholic family, made known
to Pope Leo XIII in 1898 that she had received from
Our Lord a command that she should tell him He de-
sired a formal consecration of the whole world, Christian
and pagan, to his Sacred Heart. This was done by Pope
Leo on June 9, 1899, after a solemn triduum, held
throughout the world. He himself pronounced the words
of dedication. "How his voice trembled," says one who
was present, "when he besought Christ Our Lord, to be,
Consecration of World to the Sacred Heart, 377
indeed, the Supreme King of all mankind — of Catholics,
whether faithful or not, of heretics and schismatics, and
of the poor heathens; when he besought liberty for the
Church and peace for nations, his soul, great as the
world which he then embraced, seemed to overflow in
the ardor of its accents. The two hundred privileged wit-
nesses of this sublime act did not attempt to conceal the
tears which the touching scene drew from their eyes."
His concluding words were : "From pole to pole let but
one voice resound — Praise to the Divine Heart which
has given us salvation; to It be honor and glory forever
and ever !" Afterwards he said — "This is the greatest act
of my pontificate !" He likewise sent a letter to all the
bishops of the Church, urging them to spread devotion
to the Sacred Heart by every means in their power. A
short while before, receiving the Count and Countess
Droste zu Vischering, parents of Mother Mary of the
Divine Heart, in private audience, he said to them : "Tell
your daughter that the consecration to the Sacred Heart
she has asked of me will be made in every cathedral and
church of the world, and tell her clearly that this is in
consequence of what she made known to me ; and that
I expect from it the greatest graces for the whole world."
Mother Mary of the Divine Heart was then at the point
of death and passed away shortly after, at the early age
of thirty-six.
378 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
CHAPTER XX.
ENTHRONEMENT OF THE SACRED HEART— SOME
AMERICAN ASSOCIATIONS— THE WORDS OF POPE
BENEDICT XV., AND THE DECREE OF CANONIZA-
TION OF SAINT MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE,
PROFESSED RELIGIOUS OF THE ORDER OF THE
VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY OF
THE DIOCESE OF AUTUN.
tN the year 1907, Father Matthew Crawley-Boevey of
the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and
Mary, from Chili, though of English birth, was kneel-
ing in the chapel at Paray-le-Monial, the scene of the ap-
paritions of Our Lord to Saint Margaret Mary. This
priest was, according to the doctors, suffering from an in-
curable disease of the heart. While praying before the
tabernacle, he suddenly felt his strength return to him,
and realized that he was cured. At the same moment, an
overpowering desire seized upon him to draw every
household in the world to the Sacred Heart, and the
conviction took possession of him that for this end was
his vigor restored to him. A few days later, he was in
Rome, kneeling before Pope Pius X, begging his appro-
bation and blessing for the task he felt impelled to under-
take. "I give you no permission for a work as magnifi-
cent as this/' the Pope answered him, smiling; "I com-
mand you, instead, to devote yourself to it." Father
Crawley-Boevey began his mission without delay. The
spread of the devotion was remarkable. Two years
afterward, Pope Pius X gave it his special blessing, and
to all priests who should become its apostles. Ten years
after its conception, Father Crawley-Boevey writes :
"The Enthronement of the Heart of Jesus as King has
Enthronement of the Sacred Heart. 3 79
been made in the palaces of kings and princes, in the
homes of thousands of workmen and of the poor; it has
been carried out in Parliaments ; hearth by hearth, amid
Arctic snows and in the centre of Africa; from the
archipelagos of Oceania to the distant lands of Tibet and
China, and to all the countries of Europe and America.
There have been Enthronements of rare beauty, per-
formed in the seclusion of the cloister, in brilliant gather-
ings held in the halls of Catholic clubs ; Enthronements
full of divine poetry, carried out in convent schools,
homes and orphanages, hospitals— -even in prisons ; the
homages of bishops and priests, of shepherds and their
families to the Shepherd-King; the leper settlement of
Molokai ; it has penetrated into the Congo, Ethiopia,
Alaska and the Fiji Islands."
Mother Mary Philip of the Bar Convent, York, Eng-
land, says in her interesting Life of Saint Margaret
Mary:
"We have seen how the first ceremony of the En-
thronement of the Sacred Heart took place in the noviti-
ate of the convent of Paray-le-Monial ; this present de-
votion differs in no way from the devotion practiced by
the humble Mistress of the novices and her subjects."
Cardinal Billot writes in 191 5 to Father Crawley-Boevey
as follows:
"The work is the pure, simple and unalloyed de-
votion to the Sacred Heart handed down to us in
the revelations of Blessed Margaret Mary. It is
nothing more, nothing less. To introduce or set up in
the place of honor in each household a representation of
the Sacred Heart, in recognition of the supreme rights
of Jesus Christ over the family as a whole, and over each
of its members ; to recite family prayers each evening
before it, and to renew each night, by the lips of the
father or mother, the consecration made on the first day ;
to be faithful to the practice of Holy Communion, and
3 Bo Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
as far as possible to that of the Holy Hour, on the eve
of the First Friday of the month; to meditate upon the
lessons and examples given us by the Sacred Heart ; to
have recourse to this Fount of all graces in the family
joys as well as the family sorrows, in good and evil days,
in sufferings, in reverses, in partings, amid the tears shed
at the grave and the smiles bestowed upon the cradle — in
a word, amidst all the events that interrupt the normal
and regular course of the family life One has
but to read in the life of Blessed Margaret Mary the de-
scription of the First Enthronement, carried out with
closed doors in the novitiate if the book of the
future had been opened to her at the page entitled the
Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Home,
she would have recognized in it the expansion of the
acts so delicately outlined by her little novices."
In January, 191 8, Pope Benedict XV, put the seal of
approval on the devotion of the Enthronement in these
forcible words :
"If from the canonization of Blessed Margaret Mary
there results a more complete diffusion of the worship
of the Sacred Heart, who would not by desire and deed
thus hasten the spread of so excellent a devotion as that
of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart in families and
their consecration to It? The dawn gives us an idea of
what the midday will be like, and we, who in this praise-
worthy consecration of families to the Sacred Heart
recognize the dawn of that much-desired day when the
sovereignty of Jesus Christ shall be acknowledged on all
sides, repeat with confident joy the words of St. Paul :
Opportet ilium regnare — He must reign."
While the devotion to the Sacred Heart spread rapidly
throughout Europe, and numerous chapels were every-
where erected in Its honor, there was, strange to say, no
formal consecration of a church in Its name for a century
after the death of Saint Margaret Mary. The wishes of
Some American Associations. 381
Ouf Lord, expressed through her medium to Louis XIV,
that France should raise a temple to His Heart; that
there should be a solemn consecration of king, court and
the whole nation to It, and that Its image should be placed
upon the standards of France and engraved upon her
arms, and so be victorious over her enemies, were disre-
garded. Louis XV, in his turn, failed of response.
Marie Leczinska, his amiable and long-suffering wife,
of whom he was entirely unworthy, became deeply inter-
ested ; she obtained from the council of the bishops of
France, assembled in Paris in 1765, that the worship of
the Sacred Heart should be, "according to my most
ardent desire," established in every diocese in France.
One of her daughters embroidered the image of the
Heart of Jesus on a set of splendid hangings meant for
one of the French churches ; Louis' son, the Dauphin,
raised a chapel at Versailles himself in Its honor ; but he
died, too early for France and his people. Louis XVI,
a prisoner in the Temple, remembered the Divine prom-
ises, and made a vow to erect the Church of the Sacred
Heart when he recovered his liberty — but this was not
to be.
It is claimed that this first church was that attached
to the Convent of Notre Dame des Oiseaux, in Paris, by
some French writers, but this is incorrect, as the date of
this edifice is 1837, a claim long antedated by the dedica-
tion to the Sacred Heart of the Royal Basilica of Lisbon,
in 1790, during the reign of Queen Maria I. There is a
third claim, even better substantiated. To the United
States of America belongs, beyond question, the honor
of having first dedicated a church to the Sacred Heart
of Jesus, humble and poor as was the first altar of
Annecy, and, like it, the nucleus of a magnificent develop-
ment. In the little Pennsylvania town of Conewago, 10
miles to the southeast of the famous battlefield of Gettys-
burg, there still stands a little wooden structure, whose
382 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
date is three years earlier than that of the Lisbon basilica.
Father James Pellentz, a Jesuit priest in charge of the
mission, was its builder. The year of its foundation —
1787 — is cut into a stone inserted near the roof, and
below this is an oblong slab of marble bearing a Heart
encircled with a crown of thorns and surmounted by a
cross.
America has still another claim as a client of the
Sacred Heart. It is said to contain at the present time
more churches bearing the name of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus than any other country on the globe. Three great
lamps hang in the chapel of Paray-le-Monial before the
tabernacle above which Our Lord appeared to Saint
Margaret Mary, and of the three the largest and most
beautiful is from our country. It is of massive silver,
exquisitely wrought, and bears testimony, night and day,
of the homage and devotion of America to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus.
The Words of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XV Con-
cerning the Canonization of Saint Margaret Mary.
"We thank the Lord for the opportunity afforded us
to-day of giving new proof of our benevolence towards
the French nation, of which Margaret Mary Alacoque is
a shining glory and will be a loving protector. Equally
grateful to Him are we for the opportunity of holding
up to public esteem the Religious Institute in which the
spirit of St. Francis of Sales ever lives .... Engraved
on our heart, beloved children, is the record of the hope
that we expressed on the day of the publication of the
Decree on the two miracles attributed to the intercession
of Blessed Alacoque. On that memorable occasion there
rose to our lips, spontaneously, because it was formed in
our heart, the hope that the solemn recognition of the
prodigies wrought by God at the intercession of Marga-
The Words of Pope Benedict XV. 383
ret Mary Alacoque might serve to spread ever more the
devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, because the pious
daughter of St. Francis of Sales received from Jesus
Christ Himself the mission of making known the riches
of His Divine Heart that men might come to Him as a
Fount of graces and a model of virtue. We should
praise God that there is such evident connection between
the prodigies attributed to Blessed Alacoque and the devo-
tion to the Sacred Heart that there followed from that,
universal agreement on the necessity of helping in every
way the apostolate of the pious virgin of Paray-le-Monial.
It gives us special pleasure to be able thus to bear witness
publicly to our satisfaction in hearing of the further de-
velopment of the work of the consecration of families to
the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the sadness in which our
pontificate must go on, as it was born, more and more
does the Lord make us feel His hand — of a father, and
we wish that all the members of the Christian family may
praise and thank Him for it.
"But to-day's Decree, which brings to its conclusion the
Cause of the Canonization of Blessed Alacoque is far
more eloquent than that on the miracles. To-day, too,
we must turn our ear and hear the word of God, Who
shall determine if and when the humble inmate of the
cloister of Paray-le-Monial shall be raised to the honor
of the altars. Nevertheless, the historian may say that
to-day her story is completed; the theologian and the
canonist have carried their researches and examinations
to the full length ; in the hands of even the most critical
the arms are broken and not even any outside circum-
stance hinders the sentence, that now it is possible to go
on with security to the Canonization of Margaret Mary
Alacoque. So this happy event may be greeted as immi-
nent by those, too, who do not allow themselves to be
guided by a too warm imagination. But does not he who
knows that he is close to his goal hasten and move more
384 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
quickly ? So should all those devoted to Blessed Alacoque
hasten and perfect themselves in the devotion to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus in proportion to their present hope
for the approach of the Canonization of the heroine, the
efficacy of whose apostolate has grown ever since the day
of the approval of the miracles attributed to her ; indeed
by the means of that approval.
"We said on another occasion that all the faithful
should help forward that apostolate by welcoming and
making their own all the holy activities suggested by
devotion towards the Divine Heart of the Savior ....
May the blessing of God descend copiously on France,
cradle of Blessed Alacoque, and bring about that from the
place whence came the first ray of devotion to the Sa-
cred Heart may come ever the example of constancy and
fervor in this beautiful devotion, to rejoice not only the
Salesian cloisters, but the entire Christian family."
(February 6, 1918.)
The Canonization of Blessed Margaret Mary, owing to
the war raging at the time of these words, it was found
necessary to defer awhile longer; but on May 13, 1920,
Feast of the Ascension, the Apostle of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus received the honors of the Church, under the
name of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Translation of Decree of Canonization of Blessed Mar-
garet Mary Alacoque, Virgin, Professed Religious of
the order of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
of the Diocese of Autun, in response to the question:
What is to be thought of the miracles wrought after
her Beatification and of the evidence for them, both in
the event and afterwards?
Amid the social disorder, bloodshed and fratricidal
strife of the time, we can easily imagine the overwhelming
Decree of Her Canonization. 385
joy which filled the hearts of all loving children of Holy
Church, when the announcement was made that the cause
of the Canonization of Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque
had been brought to the long-desired issue. Anyone who
considers, even for a moment, the intimate connection
between Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque and the devo-
tion to the Sacred Heart, must instantly recognize that
this happy event will bring about a great increase in that
devotion, ever peculiarly appealing to man's heart, ever
most rich in good, never more needed than now.
For men today, more perhaps than ever before, are
prone to forget, if they do not indeed openly ridicule, any
detail of life which transcends the natural order; an
attitude of mind which grows daily worse. As a natural
result of the lust for wealth and power which long since
displaced the pursuit of the higher things of life, man-
kind utterly forgot God, and hence were sowed the seeds
of that mutual hatred in which nation has risen against
nation and kingdom against kingdom. But even while
this world war rages fiercely, a divine voice has spoken,
has spoken all the clearer for the tumult through which
it must be heard : "I have come to cast fire upon the
earth, and what will I but that it be enkindled," (Luke,
XII, 49) the voice of our Lord Himself, opposing to the
devouring flames of unbridled human passion the fire of
divine charity, recalling men to the sweet concord of
brotherly love, and proposing Himself as their divine
model. "Learn of Me because I am meek and humble of
heart, and you shall find rest for your souls." (Matt.
XI, 29).
Nothing, clearly, can so readily conduce to the reali-
zation of this ideal as devotion to the Sacred Heart. Once
before, the love of God had waned in many hearts
through the spread of Jansenism, which portrayed the
Divine Majesty as unconcerned with the welfare of man-
kind; then did the all-merciful God, in accordance with
386 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
His promise never to fail His Church in her hour of
need, a promise so wondrously fulfilled throughout the
ages, once more supply a sovereign remedy for the pe-
culiar needs of the age, by disclosing the infinite treasures
of His singular love for man, making the visible symbol
thereof the most Sacred Heart of Christ, which, from
the Incarnation to Calvary, had given numberless un-
mistakable proofs of the ardent love for souls by which
It was consumed.
In regard to the form in which devotion to the Sacred
Heart was to be practiced, the part played by Sister Mar-
garet Mary Alacoque is known to all. Inspired by the
Heavenly vision, she well understood the importance of
the work given to her to do, and devoted to it all the
energy of her being, under the wise direction of the
Venerable Servant of God, Claude de la Colombiere.
Not only did he witness and bear testimony to the sanc-
tity of his daughter in Christ, but emulated it to such a
degree that the virtues of the Venerable Claude have
long since been acknowledged by the solemn pronounce-
ment of the Holy See to be heroic. Throughout her life
Sister Margaret Mary with ardent zeal labored inces-
santly to arouse in the hearts of the faithful true love and
veneration for the divine Heart of our Lord and Savior ;
and, after her holy death, this same great work was
carried on no less effectively by the cause of her Beati-
fication which was immediately introduced in due form.
As was only to be expected, the strength of her cause kept
equal pace with the growth of the devotion to the Sacred
Heart ; together they met and conquered opposition, until,
in 1864, her cause having been crowned by the solemn
rites of Beatification, and the feast of the Sacred Heart
raised to a double of the first class for the universal
church, this devotion, so consoling to humanity, spread
far and wide in a manner truly miraculous. And as ex-
perience soon proved how eminently profitable and fruit-
Decree of Her Canonization. 387
ful this devotion was for the whole church, the cause of
her Canonization, introduced within two years after her
Beatification, was greatly fostered, and, with several
Bishops taking the lead, earnest prayers and petitions
were presented to the Holy See that it might be brought
to a happy conclusion. God Himself deigned to put the
seal of His approval upon these pious desires by various
signs and prodigies, from among which two cures were
proposed for consideration, and found, after due investi-
gation, to have been real miracles and wrought by God
through the intercession of the Blessed Margaret Mary
Alacoque.
The evidence was discussed first in an introductory
meeting, then on two separate occasions in subsequent
preliminary meeting, and, finally, on the fourth of last
December, in a general meeting, held in the presence of
our Most Holy Father, Pope Benedict XV, in which His
Eminence Cardinal Vico, the Promoter of the cause,
introduced the following question for deliberation :
"What is to be thought of the miracles wrought after her
Beatification and of the evidence for them, both in the
event and afterwards?" Their Eminences the Cardinals,
and the Reverend Consultors, then expressed their opin-
ions, which were carefully considered by the Holy Father.
He, however, according to custom, postponed his final
decision, asking those present to offer meanwhile their
earnest prayers to God.
Today, however, a most auspicious day as that on
which the three Wise Men came to adore the Infant
Savior, after devoutly celebrating the Sacred Mysteries,
he summoned to the Vatican His Eminence Cardinal
Antonio Vico, Bishop of Porto and Santa Rufina, Pro-
Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, and Pro-
moter of the cause, together with Reverend Angelo Mari-
ani, Promoter of the Faith, and myself, the undersigned
secretary, and, in our presence, solemnly declared that
388 Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
each of the proposed cures were true miracles : the first,
the instantaneous and complete cure of Aloysia Agostini
Coleschi of chronic inflammation of the spinal chord in
the region of the loins, the other, the instantaneous and
complete cure of the Countess Antonio Astorri of Pavesi
of a cancer in the right breast.
This Decree is declared of public record and inscribed
in the "Acta" of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, Jan-
uary 6th, 191 8.
Antonio Cardinal Vico, Pro- Pref.
Alexander Verde, Sec.
PRINTED BY BBJNZIflER BROTHERS, NEW YORK.